Dr Pallavi Karkhanis

Dr Pallavi Karkhanis is a Consultant Obstetrician and Fetal Medicine Specialist and expert witness at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, where she has practised as a consultant since 2015. She specialises in fetal medicine, prenatal diagnosis and the management of complex and high-risk pregnancies. Her clinical expertise includes detailed fetal ultrasound, the diagnosis and management of congenital and genetic abnormalities, fetal growth disorders and advanced invasive prenatal procedures.

She independently leads fetal medicine services and clinics, delivering comprehensive care for women with complex obstetric conditions. Her practice includes chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, fetal reduction procedures and the multidisciplinary management of placenta accreta spectrum disorders. She works closely with specialists in neonatology, genetics, paediatric cardiology, radiology and fetal surgery to ensure coordinated, high-quality care from diagnosis through to delivery.

Dr Karkhanis also holds leadership roles in Fetal Medicine, specialist PAS (Placenta Accreta Spectrum), Rainbow and ultrasound services and contributes to training, supervision and service development within obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine.

Dr Karkhanis has undertaken medico-legal work since 2021 and accepts instructions in clinical negligence, personal injury and criminal matters. She provides independent expert opinion in screening, breach of duty, causation, and condition and prognosis reports.

Her medico-legal practice draws directly on her extensive clinical experience in obstetrics and fetal medicine. She is regularly instructed in cases involving prenatal diagnosis, fetal abnormalities, fetal growth restriction, placental disorders, high-risk pregnancy management and complex intrapartum care. She also advises on matters relating to advanced fetal imaging and invasive diagnostic procedures, including chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis.

Dr Karkhanis provides clear, balanced and evidence-based opinions, addressing issues such as clinical decision-making, the appropriateness of antenatal surveillance, procedural standards and causation. Her reports are structured, objective and aligned with current clinical guidelines and standards of care, assisting the court in understanding complex medical issues.

Dr Karkhanis’ clinical practice is centred on fetal medicine and the management of complex pregnancies, with a particular focus on prenatal diagnosis. She spends the majority of her clinical time performing and interpreting detailed fetal ultrasound examinations, investigating fetal abnormalities, managing fetal growth restriction and placental dysfunction. Counselling families regarding congenital, genetic and structural conditions identified during pregnancy. Her expertise extends to invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures, including chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, as well as the management of complex cases requiring specialist multidisciplinary input.

She has substantial experience caring for women with high-risk pregnancies, including those affected by placental disorders and other maternal conditions requiring specialist obstetric management. Her practice also encompasses complex delivery planning and the delivery of complex births, including cases involving placenta accreta spectrum disorders, where coordinated multidisciplinary care is essential. Working closely with specialists in genetics, neonatology, paediatric cardiology, radiology and fetal surgery, she provides comprehensive assessment, investigation and ongoing management for mothers and babies with complex clinical needs from diagnosis through to delivery.

Dr Karkhanis has an established academic and research profile in fetal medicine and placental pathology. She is currently an Honorary Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and has recently completed a research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA. She is Principal Investigator for the NIHR-supported GBS2 and GBS3 studies and Co-Principal Investigator for the Generation Study, with research interests including placental dysfunction, stillbirth and fetal growth restriction.

She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and regularly presents at national and international conferences. Alongside her research activity, she contributes to postgraduate education through trainee supervision, regional and national teaching, curriculum delivery, mentorship and national recruitment, as well as guideline development, audit and quality improvement.