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Perinatal Center

The HSHS St. John's South-Central Illinois Perinatal Center cares for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies and their babies

Pregnant woman

The South-Central Illinois Administrative Perinatal Center, located in HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital, cares for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies and their babies throughout a 37-county area in central Illinois, with outreach clinics in Springfield, Decatur and Quincy.

The center provides patient services, education for healthcare professionals and early intervention agencies, and outcome evaluations for hospitals in the region. The Perinatal Center includes a team of Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine physicians who specialize in maternal-fetal medicine and neonatology. 

Patient services include diabetes screenings and follow-up care, blood pressure screenings and follow-up care, genetic counseling and prenatal screenings for birth defects, ultrasound diagnosis, and pre-conception and pregnancy consultations.

Breastfeeding education is also important to provide newborns with the best nutrients possible. The nursing staff at St. John's Women and Infants Center actively supports breastfeeding women. The center educates their clients and the community regarding the importance of the promotion and encouragement of breastfeeding.

Types of high-risk pregnancies

  • Diabetes in pregnancy
  • Pre-term labor
  • Hypertension in pregnancy
  • Risk of birth defects
  • Cardiovascular disease in pregnancy
  • Family history of genetic disease
  • Multiples pregnancies
  • Complications due to previous pregnancies
  • Rh sensitization
The Joint Commision gold seal graphic

Advanced certification in perinatal care

HSHS St. John’s Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care (ACPC) by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. St. John’s is the first hospital in Illinois to achieve this designation. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects the healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.