Maryland's Health Matters - UMMS - Summer 2013 - (Page 11)

ahmet Baschat, Md, director of fetal therapy, left, and Christopher harman, Md, director of the University of Maryland Center for advanced fetal Care. AdditionAl CAre After delivery UniVersity of MaryLand ChiLdren’s hospitaL is an iMportant partner in providing exceptional neonatal care to obstetrician to rule out fetal complications or to confirm a diagnosis. Detecting rare conditions requires special knowledge and experience with sophisticated testing methods and equipment. This diagnostic stage is the foundation of developing a plan that improves outcomes for mother and baby. “Our job is not just to find abnormalities through ultrasound,” says Suzie Jefferies, a registered diagnostic medical sonographer at the center. “It is the first step in planning for the rest of the pregnancy. We give parents hope.” Many parents-to-be who come to the CAFC with little hope about the future of their unborn child are surprised to learn that they have more options than they were initially presented. At each step, the team works with parents to make sure they understand all the options and can make decisions with the most complete information possible. the babies who start their journey at the Center for Advanced fetal Care (CAfC). if it’s determined that a baby requires immediate or long-term care after delivery, the appropriate pediatric specialists are brought in before the baby is born to work alongside the maternal-fetal medicine clinical team. the integrated team includes perinatologists, perinatal nurses, genetic counselors, sonographers, neonatologists, geneticists and pediatric specialists, including pediatric surgeons. And, unlike many hospitals in the region, the CAfC has direct access to all the medical and surgical resources of University of Maryland Children’s Hospital for seamless fiXinG proBLeMs in Utero postdelivery care for mother and baby. As part of one of the few truly comprehensive fetal care programs in the U.S., our team of specialists uses the most advanced treatment options available, including a full range of fetal surgeries. Although many defects can be accurately diagnosed before birth, only a few require intervention while the baby is still in the womb. Fetal surgery may be necessary to repair life-threatening congenital abnormalities, such as cardiac malfunctions, urinary blockages, spinal defects and airway malformations. Another condition that requires fetal surgery is twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)—a serious disorder that occurs when identical twins share a placenta and one baby receives too much blood while the other baby doesn’t receive enough. If left untreated, the result is often fatal for both babies. the pre- and postnatal plan of care is co- Look for “Be Well Videos.” ordinated, and the expectant parents meet with key members of their baby’s care team, all before the baby is born. kids’ specialty care To discover more about the specialties available at University of Maryland Children's Hospital, go to umm.edu/pediatrics. http://www.umm.edu/pediatrics

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - UMMS - Summer 2013

Maryland's Health Matters - UMMS - Summer 2013