The Fetal Medicine Foundation of the United States of America (FMF/USA) was established on July 11, 2006. It is a registered not-for-profit charity organization #1635069, which is based in Ohio. The FMF/USA is closely allied with the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) in the United Kingdom (charity no: 1037116). The FMF was created by Professor Kypros Nicolaides in London in 1995. The FMF has supported most of the published research in first trimester screening by nuchal translucency and other sonographic and biochemical markers. Over the past decade or more, the FMF has developed a uniform system of training and quality assurance. It has also developed software for calculation of patient-specific risk for trisomies 21, 18 and 13. The algorithm for the nuchal translucency measurements is based on examinations of approximately 100,000 fetuses and the biochemical marker portion (PAPP-A and free beta-hCG) is based on approximately 75,000 studies. The FMF system of training and risk assessment has been adopted by centers in 80 countries, and thousands of sonographers around the world.
In the US, FMF-approved courses started taking place in 1998. Since that time, approximately 150 such courses have been held with the total attendance being around 10,000. Approximately 3,500 persons have successfully completed the FMF accreditation process in the US with a fairly steady sonographer to physician ratio of 3:1. These courses have been put on by a variety of entities including universities, hospitals, medical genetic centers, and laboratories. In each case, in order for the course to be approved by the FMF, it has to have a standard content, which is included in FMF courses worldwide.
The FMF/USA will continue in the proud tradition of uncompromising quality started by the FMF in London. The FMF/USA is an independent not for profit organization with only one goal in mind and that is to improve and maintain quality of first trimester fetal evaluation in the United States.