Upon meeting with Colorado Fetal Care Center maternal fetal medicine specialist and fetal surgeon Nick Behrendt, MD, the Oligmuellers learned their case of TTTS was severe. The best solution for TTTS is typically fetoscopic laser ablation. It’s a minimally invasive surgery in which the surgeon inserts a tiny scope into the uterus, through the amniotic sac.
The team at UC Davis decided to separate these conjoined twins at 9 months of age. They took special precautions such as house calls during COVID to give the girls the best chance at an amazing life.
We're happy to share exciting news from recipients of our two-time research grant winner! In 2018 and 2019, the Fetal Health Foundation teamed up with the Brianna Marie Foundation to support Dr. Teresa Sparks and her team at the University of California, San...
Dr. Timothy Crombleholme, Director Fetal Care Center of Dallas, and Lonnie Somers, Chair and Founder of the Fetal Health Foundation announce the joining of the Fetal Therapy Think Tank and the Fetal Health Foundation as one organization with the mission of improving...
With the CIRM funding, the UC Davis team will be able to launch their one-of-a-kind treatment in the coming months. It will be delivered while the baby is still in the mother’s womb (in utero). The complex procedure, with its unique use of a stem cell “patch,” could improve outcomes for children who are born with the severe form of spina bifida known as myelomeningocele.
“In general, SMFM strongly recommends that pregnant women have access to COVID-19 vaccines in all phases of future vaccine campaigns, and that she and her healthcare professional engage in shared decision-making regarding her receipt of the vaccine. Counseling should balance available data on vaccine safety, risks to pregnant women from SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a woman’s individual risk for infection and severe disease. As data emerge, counseling will likely shift, as some vaccines may be more suitable for pregnant women.
When I was pregnant, it felt like my mind never stopped. When I would try to fall asleep at night, one thought after another would keep me up.
If that sounds like you, meditation is a wonderful way to quiet some of those intrusive thoughts, so you can wind down. With meditation, you will be concentrating on listening to your rhythmic, steady breathing and getting in touch with your baby.
11-weeks pregnant with her third child, Jessica Reger expected this pregnancy to go as smoothly as the others, with the exception of a complicated delivery with her second baby that required an emergency surgery and blood transfusions. But a routine ob/gyn visit revealed an abnormal blood screen – her blood was alloimmunized.
The whole morning turned into changing and canceling appointments, meeting new doctors, and understanding a real new world of twins. My doctor explained so many things about my pregnancy, including how it had become high risk, and that we needed screening every two weeks for things like TTTS.
The joy that parents feel upon learning they are expecting is often tampered by medical complications and concerns. After a fetal syndrome is diagnosed, parents need to quickly understand the basics of the maternal fetal medicine world. Learn more about maternal fetal care centers and how to find them.
Giving birth to a baby with an unusual prenatal diagnosis at 27 weeks in the midst of a global pandemic comes with its own unique challenges. That was one family’s reality earlier this year. But the care team at the Colorado Fetal Care Center — the only team in the region able to perform the procedure their baby needed to survive — was there to help them through it.
“Both the mom and fetus or newborn have access to a full range of hospital services from labs to imaging to counseling and surgery in one area. The close proximity also allows for further bonding between the parents and the infant at a critical time. Additionally, co-locating the care team fosters collaboration in emergency situations,” stated McGuinness.