15 Years Dedicated to Life Before Birth

 

June 1 is International Children’s Day.  For Loote Ultrahelikeskus, this day also has special meaning, as it was on June 1, 2011, that the center opened its doors for the first time.
 

This year, Loote Ultrahelikeskus celebrates its 15th anniversary.
 

Over these fifteen years, prenatal diagnostics has become much more precise. Ultrasound examinations, the assessment of fetal development, monitoring of placental function, evaluation of maternal risks, and the possibilities offered by genetic testing now provide families with far more information than before.
 

Yet one thing has remained unchanged: during pregnancy, every family needs not only an examination but also explanation, trust, and the feeling that their child’s life is already being taken seriously before birth.
 

Looking back on these years, I understand more and more clearly that, for me, Loote Ultrahelikeskus has not simply been a private clinic dedicated to fetal medicine. It has been my professional path, my calling, and my responsibility.
 

When we speak about Estonia’s future, we often speak about the economy, security, and politics. Much less often do we speak about the fact that every child who is born, expected, and cared for is part of our shared future.
 

Family, children, and the passing on of life are not only each family’s personal story. They are also part of a people's continuity. My role in this large question is small but concrete: to do my work so well that every family who comes to us feels that their child’s life has already been taken seriously before birth.
 

I wish for children to be born in Estonia who are expected, cared for, and loved. I wish for families to feel more secure and less fear during pregnancy. I wish for prenatal diagnostics to be not only an examination but also an explanation, a sense of responsibility, and human support.
 

Loote Ultrahelikeskus was created to help families make more informed decisions during pregnancy and to notice what can be noticed before a child is born.
 

At the center of our work is not only the image on the screen, but the question of what that image means for the family and the child.
 

On International Children’s Day, I think with gratitude of all the families who have trusted us over these years.
 

Every child matters.
Every family’s story matters.
And every life that begins deserves attention.

Dr. Marek Šois
Obstetrician-gynecologist, dedicated to fetal medicine