Welcome to the FAC
The Fetal
Assessment
Centre
Meet the Team
Dr Karin Norman
Dr Karin Norman, a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist, is co-founder, co-director and a consultant at The Fetal Assessment Centre Claremont, where she performs a full range of diagnostic ultrasounds such as the 11-14 week scan, 20-22 week anomaly scan, fetal growth and Doppler scans, cervical length assessment, fetal echocardiography, and multiple fetal pregnancy assessment.
She also performs counselling for fetal abnormalities and assists with specialist procedures such as chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, fetal blood sampling, embryo reduction and intra-uterine transfusions.
Karin, who hold a Post Graduate Masters of Medicine Degree, and an Undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Degree (MB ChB) was the first woman to qualify as an obstetrician gynaecologist from Stellenbosch University in 1989 and was a Senior Specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Tygerberg hospital for 30 years, where she trained 6th year medical students and registrars in high risk obstetric management and ultrasound scanning.
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Karin has a Certificate of Competence for the 11-14 week scan from the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF), a Certificate of Completion for the theoretical part of the Fetal Medicine Diploma, and is registered with the Health Professionals Council of SA, is a member of the International society for ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ISUOG), as well as the South African society for ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (SASUOG).
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​In addition, from 1998 to 2003 Karin was one of the directors of the Institute for diagnostic ultrasound in obstetric ultrasound of the University of Stellenbosch where she was actively involved in regular workshops throughout the year to train doctors in ultrasound scanning and lectured at the workshops hosted by Prof Geerts from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch University. Karin too has produced several leading research documents and presentations in her field.
Dr Shannon Morris
Dr Shannon Morris is the consultant and director at The Fetal Assessment Centre Durbanville, where she performs a full range of diagnostic ultrasounds, genetic counselling and specialist procedures, such as chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, fetal blood sampling, embryo reduction and intra-uterine transfusions.
In addition to her role at The Fetal Assessment Centre, Shannon, who holds a post graduate Honours Degree in Human Genetics (BSc MedSc Hons), a Diploma in Obstetrics (Dip Obs), and an Undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB), also works on Mondays at the Fetal Anomaly and Genetic Counseling Clinic at the Tygerberg Hospital, where she is involved in specialized fetal anomaly scanning, procedures and the training of postgraduate medical personnel.
Shannon, a member of the International Society for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) and a member of the South African Society for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (SASUOG) holds a Certificate of Competence for the 11-14 week scan from the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF); a Certificate of Completion for the theoretical part of the Fetal Medicine Diploma (FMF) and a Health Professionals Council of SA registration number.
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In addition to her current active role of training postgraduate students at Tygerberg hospital, from 1998 to 2003 Shannon was one of the directors of the Institute for diagnostic ultrasound in obstetric ultrasound of the University of Stellenbosch where she was actively involved in regular workshops throughout the year to train doctors in ultrasound scanning. She still lectures at the basic obstetric scan and anomaly scan courses/workshops at Stellenbosch University. Shannon has also produced several leading research documents and presentations in her field.
Dr Zoe Momberg
Dr Zoe Momberg is the new co-director at the Fetal Assesment Centre in Claremont and a Maternal Fetal Specialist
Zoe completed her undergraduate medical training at the University of Cape Town (UCT), followed by specialist training in Obstetrics & Gynaecology also at UCT. She was awarded the Daubenton Medal for outstanding results in the Fellowship examination of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
Zoe worked to commission a new Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department at Mitchells Plain District Hospital and ran the department, before being awarded a Life Healthcare scholarship to sub-specialise in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM). She trained under Professor Lut Geerts and Prof David Hall at Tygerberg Hospital to obtain her sub-specialist certificate.
Zoe has been head of the Fetal Medicine Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital (a tertiary referral unit) for three and a half years; where she taught Obstetric registrars and MFM fellows subspecialising in fetal medicine. She also ran a high-risk twin clinic and the referral clinic for fetal abnormalities. She was part of a multidisciplinary team where she worked closely with Geneticists, Neonatologists and Paediatric Cardiologists and Surgeons, to manage high risk pregnancies.
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Zoe joined the Fetal Assessment Centre full-time in January 2022. She still works one day a week at Groote Schuur in the Fetal Medicine Unit to support teaching. Her special interests are in counselling parents and fetal growth abnormalities.
Ms Mardelle Schoeman
Mardelle Schoeman is the registered Genetic Counsellor (Reg. number: GR 0000329) at The Fetal Assessment Centre. She holds a BSc in Biological Life Sciences, a BSc (Hons) in Genetics, and a Masters Degree (MSc Med) in Genetic Counselling.
During her time as a student Mardelle received a Merit Award for Academic Achievement, a Golden Key Award for being in the top 10% in the B.Sc Faculty, and a Bursary for Academic Achievement from the National Research Council (NRC).
After completing her internship training, Mardelle gained experience working in the field of genetic counselling across the spectrum of genetic conditions in various places, including – but not limited to GENE diagnostics, The Division of Human Genetics, the University of Cape Town, Tygerberg Hospital, The Division of Neurology, Groote Schuur Hospital, the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, and the National Health Laboratory Services.
Mardelle, who represents genetic counsellors on the National Genetic Counsellors Committee, is a member of the South African Society for Human Genetics, as well as the African Society of Human Genetics, and is also the genetic counselling representative on the Committee for Medical Scientists of the HPCSA, has now been with The Fetal Assessment Centre for seven years and is passionate about pre- and post-test genetic counselling for patients requesting prenatal screening, and counselling patients with fetal abnormalities detected on ultrasound.
She has extensive lecturing and teaching experience in the field of genetics and genetic counselling and has participated in many well-regarded studies and publications on genetics.
Dr Louise Matthews
Dr Louise Matthews in an independent consultant at The Fetal Assessment Centre.
Louise qualified as a medical doctor at the University of Cape Town in 1986, and she entered the field of Fetal Medicine in 1993. She was the principal medical officer at Groote Schuur Hospital Fetal Medicine unit during this time, and was part of the multi- disciplinary team (including paediatricians, neonatologists, geneticists and surgeons) responsible for the diagnosis and management of fetal anomalies. She gained experience in performing invasive procedures on the fetus to exclude and treat fetal anomalies. In 1998 she was the first South African residing in South Africa to be accredited with the Fetal Medicine Foundation in the U.K. to perform screening for Down's syndrome. She was also involved in undergraduate and post-graduate teaching of specialists-in-training, sonologists-in-training and medical students.
She also performs gynaecological ultrasounds in non-pregnant women. In addition, she has notable expertise in ultrasound in babies and young girls to assess ambiguous genitalia and early-onset puberty.
Louise graduated with a Doctorate in the obstetric department with a thesis examining the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on the unborn fetus in 2006, and left full time hospital practice to enter private solo practice in 2007. She joined the FAC as an independent consultant in June 2016, whilst still maintaining her links with Groote Schuur Hospital which she attends one day a week as a part time senior lecturer, involved in post graduate teaching of obstetric and gynaecology registrars.
Ms Christine Schabort
Ms Christine Schabort is the Chief Sonographer at the Fetal Assessment Centre and has been with us since 2004.
Christine holds a Bachelors Degree in Diagnostics; a Bachelors Degree in Ultrasound, a Bachelors Degree (honours) in Human Genetics, and her Masters in Reproductive Biology.
Subsequent to this, Christine has achieved her Self Education Certificate in Maternal Care, a Nuchal Translucency Certificate from the Fetal Medicine Foundation, and an Introduction to Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
She also holds Continuing Medical Education Certificates in the following:
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Syndromes associated with Congenital Heart Disease and ultrasound findings
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Sonographic evaluation of the fetal head
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Embryology, pathology and ultrasound characteristics of the placenta
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The uterus
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Obstetric ultrasound of the diabetic patient
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Advanced Course in Fetal Medicine.
In addition to her role at the Fetal Assessment Centre, Christine, who is a member of the Health Professions Council of South Africa is also a Faculty Lecturer at the Infocus Ultrasound Institute at Stellenbosch University.
Ms Nina Vorster
Nina is an HPCSA-registered Genetic Counsellor (GC0000639). She obtained her MMedSc in Genetic Counselling at the University of Cape Town and completed her internship training at Tygerberg Hospital.
Exposure to both state and private healthcare systems ignited Nina's passion to ensure that genetic services are easily accessible to all and form part of the holistic approach to healthcare. In 2022, Nina co-founded a genetic counselling practice, Geneteam, and she sees patients on a part-time basis at the Fetal Assessment Centre.