Fetal Care

When your baby needs more advanced care during your pregnancy, the specialists in our Fetal Intervention Center all work together to support your baby’s long-term health.

This center is completely designed around fetal care, with multiple specialists across a wide spectrum, including fetal surgeons, maternal fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists and more. If your unborn baby has a fetal condition or complications during your pregnancy, our team will be by your side, guiding you through your and your baby's treatment every step of the way.

Our Approach to Fetal Care

The specialists in our Fetal Intervention Center are here to help you understand your baby's condition and what comes next. Our goal is to guide you and your baby toward better heath before, during and after delivery. We focus on:

• Improving your baby's long-term health and quality of life
• Preventing complications
• Treating serious or life-threatening conditions

What to Expect from Fetal Care at MU Health Care

Your highly personalized care starts the moment your OB-GYN or maternal fetal medicine provider refers you to our Fetal Intervention Center.

Our dedicated fetal care coordinator can answer your questions, help you schedule your appointment and walk you through what to expect.

The first step in our Fetal Intervention Center is making a precise diagnosis. Your care team may perform advanced diagnostic tests, including but not limited to:

• High resolution fetal ultrasound
• Fetal MRI
• Fetal echocardiogram
• Genetic testing of baby and parents

Your next steps and potential treatment options will be guided by your diagnosis. Based on your specific needs, you may meet with a fetal surgeon, maternal fetal medicine specialist and a fetal care nurse practitioner for a consultation.

For your baby, our team will:

• Thoroughly explain your baby's diagnosis
• Help you understand how the condition can affect your baby's overall health and quality of life
• Discuss treatment options that can be performed before your baby is born, such as open or minimally invasive fetal surgery
• Recommend pediatric specialty care that your baby may need after they're born

For you, our team will:

• Explain how your baby's condition may affect your pregnancy
• Walk you through what to expect during the rest of your pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care
• Plan additional monitoring, testing and lifestyle modifications, if necessary

Your care team will also use this time to get to know you, answer your questions and address your concerns.

At the end of your consultation, you'll have a treatment plan in place, and your fetal care coordinator will help schedule any next steps.

Fetal Surgery

In some cases, our fetal surgeons can treat your baby's condition with fetal surgery before your baby is born.

Specifically, fetal surgery can help:

• Avoid a life-threatening complication
• Improve your baby's long-term health
• Prevent or minimize disabilities after your baby is born

Your Fetal Care Team

We take a team approach to your care, with maternal and fetal specialists working together to ensure you and your baby get the treatment you need.

Our Fetal Intervention Center includes experts in:

• Fetal radiology
• Fetal surgery
• Genetics
• Maternal fetal medicine
• Neonatology

During your pregnancy, your fetal care team may also work closely with additional experts across MU Health Care's 30 pediatric specialties. This may include pediatric specialists in:

• ENT
• Gastroenterology
• Nephrology
• Neurology
• Orthopaedics
• Surgery
• Urology
• And others