Perinatal Palliative Care Initiative
Some families come to the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment and learn that their baby is at high risk of dying either before or shortly after birth. In other cases, the diagnosis may be life threatening, but the outcome is uncertain. Finding out about this kind of diagnosis is overwhelming.
Supporting families in difficult times
Perinatal Palliative Care Initiative staff help families to plan for and cope with the remainder of their pregnancy and the time around delivery. Our goal is to support families as they face the unimaginable and to help them down a path of healing.
We do this by:
- Helping prospective parents create a birth plan that is consistent with their hopes, goals and values
- Exploring the possible pathways that lay ahead
- Bolstering the family's coping strategies
- Exploring medical decisions
- Considering memory making options
- Providing a safe environment for families to talk about what they are experiencing
Partnering with referring physicians
As families explore ideas, create a birth plan, or struggle with uncertainty, we keep the referring physicians informed and involved. We also are happy to remain available to families and their primary medical teams when families will not be delivering at our center. Working together, we can develop a plan that will work for everyone.
Additional family resources
For more information about palliative care sites and related resources, please visit our pregnancy resources page.
Contact us
If you would like to meet us or just learn more about our program, please contact us.
David Munson, MD
Attending physician
Division of Neonatology and the Pediatric Advanced Care Team
munson@email.chop.edu
Martha Hudson, MSW, LSW
Social worker
Neonatal/Infant Intensive Care Unit and Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment
hudsonm@email.chop.edu
Stefanie Kasperski, MS, CGC
Genetic counselor
Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment
kasperski@email.chop.edu
Contact Us
- 1-800-468-8376
- (1-800-IN-UTERO)
- Contact Us Online