Fetal Examination

Effective Friday, February 18, 2022, GGC’s Fetal Examination program is being suspended indefinitely. After that date we will no longer be able to accept new fetal examination requests.

We apologize for the disruption to this service.

Discovering the causes of birth defects is the first step to preventing them. Our campus is home to the successful South Carolina Birth Defects Prevention Program, which is leading the effort to reduce birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, within South Carolina.

GGC’s fetal examination program is another strategy to advance the understanding of why birth defects occur and how they might be prevented. The Center for Anatomic Studies at the Greenwood Genetic Center devotes its resources to the study of the process of embryonic and fetal growth and the complications that contribute to birth defects. GGC has also developed fetal examination resources to assist in these efforts.

The Center for Anatomic Studies at GGC provides a fetal examination for patients who have lost a baby during pregnancy or have experienced a stillbirth where there are birth defect or anomalies. Healthcare providers should call the Center at 864-388-1700 to discuss a potential candidate for fetal examination prior to sending a fetus. A completed fetal examination packet should accompany the fetus and will help explain and expedite the process. A map of Oakbrook Memorial Park will guide parents to our burial site, should they choose for us to handle the burial.

Fetal examination or perinatal autopsy is an understandably difficult process for which parents must give consent. The knowledge gained from fetal examination may be able to provide an answer for the family, provide accurate recurrence risks, and offer hope for the future. Examinations also help further the research which may prevent more birth defects from occurring in South Carolina and around the world. Call the Greenwood Genetic Center at 864-388-1700 or fill out a form here for more information about fetal examination.