Maternal and fetal medicine deals with women patients who have complications of pregnancy. An obstetrician/ gynecologist treats women with high-risk or complicated pregnancies. A high-risk pregnancy, where the mother and fetus need special monitoring and medical care, may be a result of the mother’s diabetes, high blood pressure, or a seizure disorder. The fetus may have genetic disorders, or other problems that affect its development.

Sometimes if a woman is pregnant with twins or triplets or more, she may have additional health problems, or she may have a history of pregnancy complications. The obstetrician/gynecologist has special knowledge and skills to deal with these health problems and work with the mother toward the safe delivery of a healthy baby.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 1,879 practicing maternal & fetal medicine doctors. Broken out by state, maternal & fetal medicine doctor density in Alabama is 28, in Alaska is 3, in Arizona is 49, in Arkansas is 6, in California is 266, in Colorado is 37, in Connecticut is 49, in Delaware is 5, in District of Columbia is 15, in Florida is 89, in Georgia is 56, in Hawaii is 12, in Idaho is 8, in Illinois is 98, in Indiana is 27, in Iowa is 16, in Kansas is 12, in Kentucky is 42, in Louisiana is 24, in Maine is 5, in Maryland is 67, in Massachusetts is 72, in Michigan is 75, in Minnesota is 28, in Mississippi is 14, in Missouri is 61, in Montana is 5, in Nebraska is 14, in Nevada is 26, in New Hampshire is 10, in New Jersey is 116, in New Mexico is 14, in New York is 247, in North Carolina is 69, in Ohio is 89, in Oklahoma is 17, in Oregon is 32, in Pennsylvania is 116, in Rhode Island is 9, in South Carolina is 26, in South Dakota is 6, in Tennessee is 45, in Texas is 152, in Utah is 29, in Vermont is 9, in Virginia is 45, in Washington is 55, in West Virginia is 8, and in Wisconsin is 32.