Fetal Treatment Program

Healthcare for a baby begins before birth. That’s why the Fetal Treatment Program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, offers specialized and personalized care to a developing baby before it’s born.

If your baby needs any medical or surgical treatment while still in the womb, our Maternal Fetal Medicine physicians who specialize in high-risk pregnancy will collaborate with you and your primary obstetrician/gynecologist (Ob/Gyn) to seamlessly provide all the care you need throughout this stressful time. We offer state-of-the-art screenings and diagnostic procedures to figure out or verify if anything is wrong.

You and your baby will be in good hands with Ohio State’s fetal treatment experts during your pregnancy and delivery.

What is the Fetal Treatment Program?

Fetal treatment, or fetal therapy, refers to any medical or surgical treatments your baby might need before delivery. Our Fetal Treatment Program provides coordinated care for suspected or diagnosed fetal issues, whether mild or more serious.

The percentage of pregnancies that require this type of care is low. For those rare occurrences, we evaluate and treat the developing baby in the womb to correct problems before birth. The goal is to help the baby in the early stages of life and throughout fetal development to prevent complications after birth or diseases that could form later in life.

This highly specialized pregnancy care is typically offered only at medical centers with a team of trained specialists who work across multiple disciplines. At any given time, we’re working with roughly 120 families with fetal treatment plans, which typically include:

• Diagnosis
• Counseling and emotional support
• Patient education
• Coordinated planning for delivery and care after the baby is born
• Medications for the baby
• Procedures or surgeries for the baby

It’s important to remember that just because you’re referred to us, doesn’t mean something is wrong. Often, we provide reassurance that there isn’t a concern or that any concerns should clear up on their own. Other times, we simply monitor you and your baby to make sure minor anomalies don’t cause larger issues.

Who we treat in the Fetal Treatment Program

We help expectant parents who may be facing or have been diagnosed with a complication of the fetus. Our Fetal Treatment Program treats a wide variety of fetal conditions ranging from mild and manageable, to major – needing comprehensive care. The cases we see in our clinic include:

• Your primary Ob/Gyn saw something of concern during a regularly scheduled visit or with a routine prenatal test. This may be confirmed on our assessment, or we may offer reassurance that everything is normal.
• You have genetic concerns and need more advanced diagnostic testing.
• You’re carrying twins or a multiples pregnancy.
• You need a second opinion on a fetal diagnosis, including a heart or neural tube defect.
• Your growing baby has been diagnosed with a birth defect, such as a cleft palate or club foot, or a chromosome abnormality.

Many of the people we see in our clinic need only one visit to verify that a potential concern isn’t one. One ultrasound can help us rule out most fetal conditions. If we decide you need further monitoring and care, we’ll ensure you remain informed of what’s happening and have input on how care proceeds.

Services offered in the Fetal Treatment Program

Uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis of an abnormality in your baby can be extremely confusing and distressing. Our team of experienced perinatologists (maternal-fetal medicine physicians), sonographers, genetic counselors and nurses provide expert, compassionate care from diagnosis to delivery. Additionally, before delivery, we coordinate the plan for your baby’s care with our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and any necessary pediatric specialists.

Services our Fetal Treatment Program offers include:

• Advanced genetic diagnostics – Using tools not always offered at most hospitals, we’re able to diagnose fetal conditions very early. Several of our testing options include amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and cordocentesis (blood taken from umbilical cord).
• Alloimmunization – We have a very robust program for pregnancies in which antibodies or blood of the mother is incompatible with those of the baby.
• Cardiac anomalies – We perform many fetal echocardiograms (ultrasounds that look at the heart) annually and manage the screening and diagnosis of heart defects. If a defect is identified, we’ll coordinate care with Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
• Intrauterine transfusions – This procedure transfuses blood to the fetus through the vein in the umbilical cord. The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of the leading institutions in North America for this type of blood transfusion.
• Exit delivery – This is a delivery method that allows the placenta to continue to provide oxygen to the baby while the physician establishes a clear airway.
• Management of very severe cases – This requires highly specialized and coordinated care that very few hospitals are able to provide. While we coordinate certain procedures with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we also work with pediatric centers in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Why should you choose Ohio State for fetal treatment?

Established in 1992, our Fetal Treatment Program is the longest-standing fetal care center in central Ohio. This underscores our commitment to and expertise in fetal treatment. Other reasons why people choose us for the care of their unborn baby include:

• Direct and efficient care – When time is of the essence, we can often see you the same day for an ultrasound and a consultation. We can ease fears quickly if we don’t find anything, and we can start care promptly if there is an issue.
• Relationships and coordinated care – If your baby’s condition requires the help of another specialty at Ohio State or another facility, we’ve built connections across the medical center to coordinate that care. We keep lines of communication open, informing your primary Ob/Gyn of updates and seamlessly working with others, to give you the best possible outcomes.
• Presence in Labor and Delivery – Unlike other hospital systems in Columbus, our fetal treatment specialists staff Labor and Delivery, so if fetal management is needed during delivery, we’re there to assist.
• Research and innovation – Our physicians are actively involved in clinical research and have participated in the development of many of the fetal and diagnostic procedures and treatments we offer. Research studies in fetal treatment for certain conditions also may be available to you.