Learning your baby has a birth defect is a life-changing experience, and we want you to know that you are not alone. To help you find answers to your questions -- either before or after visiting the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment -- we've created this list of educational health resources.
Hosts for Hospitals is a unique nonprofit program that provides accommodations in the homes of local families at minimal or no cost to families whose homes are far away.
The Ronald McDonald House serves as a "home-away-from-home" for families whose children are being treated at nearby hospitals. The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House has rooms available for patient families as well as mothers undergoing fetal surgery or delivering in CHOP’s Special Delivery Unit.
The Ronald McDonald House serves as a "home-away-from-home" for families whose children are being treated at nearby hospitals. The Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey has rooms available for patient families as well as mothers undergoing fetal surgery or delivering in CHOP’s Special Delivery Unit.
Here are some common questions parents have when they think about holding their baby in intensive care. Your care team is here to support you ever step of the way.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is just as common as cystic fibrosis, but many people have never heard of it. Get the facts about CDH and share to help raise awareness of the condition.
Did you know that spina bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the U.S.? Learn more spina bifida facts and help spread the word.
Get the facts about fetal surgery then share this infographic with your friends and family to help raise awareness of the ways babies can be treated for serious and life-threatening conditions even before they’re born.
Kathleen Huggins equips breastfeeding mothers with all the information they need to overcome potential difficulties and nurse their babies successfully.
This book provides information on how to get started with breastfeeding, including tips for latching on, increasing your milk supply, breastfeeding in absentia, breast pumps and more.
This book offers a comprehensive introduction to breastfeeding — how to get ready before the baby arrives, how to involve fathers and siblings, the best diet and foods for mom, and more.
Working mothers, stay-at-home moms, single moms, and mothers of multiples will all benefit from this book’s range of nursing advice, stories, and information.
More information about congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) to help make choices about your child’s care and choose a CDH treatment center that is right for you.
Babies born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) may go on ECMO if they aren’t responding well to other efforts to stabilize them. Find answers to common questions parents have about this potential treatment.
If you or your loved one continue to have difficulty with a perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, it may be helpful to contact a mental health professional for additional support.
These guided videos and audio recordings can help create a more peaceful and restful state of mind for parents, caregivers, and adolescent/young adult patients.
The Connelly Resource Center for families is located on the 8th floor of the Main Hospital. Inside, families will find a family and children's library, a learning center and a hospitality area for free services such as laundry, business needs, naps, learning or relaxing.
The Jill & Mark Fishman Center for Families, located on the first floor of the Main Hospital, provides families with a welcoming space as well as assistance with housing, transportation and local resources.
Perinatal and Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides a free booklet on depression during and after pregnancy for women, their families and friends.
NWHIC, a service of the Office of Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), focuses on emerging women's health priorities to meet the needs of women and girls. Their website provides health and wellness information, reproductive health resources, and information about diseases and conditions including postpartum depression.
In this episode of the Primary Care Perspectives podcast series, David Levine, MD, pediatrician and board member, Postpartum Support International, discusses perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) in dads, partners, and adoptive parents.
For help, visit the Postpartum Support International website or call or text the PSI HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773 (English and Spanish available). Individualized support is also available for the following:
The American Pregnancy Association is a national health organization that promotes reproductive and pregnancy wellness through education, support, advocacy and community awareness.
This book is for children ages 2-10 whose mother is on pregnancy bed rest. It will help children better understand, be less fearful and realize there is an end to the bed rest experience.
Women undergoing bed rest during pregnancy will benefit from the insight McCann gained as she successfully endured both an at-home as well as extended hospital bed rest.
About.com offers free online childbirth classes that include a comprehensive discussion of labor and birth from a certified childbirth educator and RN.
This book includes information on how to prepare for labor; epidurals and other medications for labor; cesarean birth, breastfeeding and newborn care and much more.
Baby and childcare experts, Dr. Bill and Martha Sears, tell you what to expect, month by month, from conception through birth in this comprehensive guide.
Mama Care combines prenatal care, childbirth education and a support group into one program for healthy mothers giving birth in the Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Online support groups are a safe avenue to find therapeutic support for the symptoms of anxiety, depression and social isolation from the comfort of home.
Every year, patients, families and staff from the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment gather for a reunion. This year it was virtual! Watch the video for highlights.
Before Avery was born, doctors discovered she had spina bifida, and she underwent fetal surgery. Fast forward four years, and see Avery run, jump and play.
This spina bifida video series talks about how to deal with a spina bifida diagnosis for your unborn child, from prenatal diagnosis, to treatment options, delivery and follow-up care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
In this video series, doctors and nurses from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia describe the diagnosis and treatment of different fetal lung anomalies.
This video follows one family’s journey from prenatal diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) through delivery and CDH surgery to discharge home.
Watch this video to learn about advances in CDH care pioneered by CHOP since 1995 and how we continue to push treatment to new frontiers and improve the life course for children.
In this video you’ll join the Delaney family on their journey, learn about the large team involved in the separation surgery, and see how Abby and Erin are doing today.
Connor has been in the spotlight since before he was born. Doctors closed a hole in his spine while he was still in his mother's womb. Follow his journey.
In this video, clinicians and patient families talk about the diagnosis and treatment of cleft lip and palate, the most common congenital facial anomaly.
Watch this video about CHOP's Special Delivery Unit, the first birthing unit of its kind for families expecting babies with a prenatally diagnosed birth defect.
Families who faced the diagnosis of a birth defect join clinicians in sharing what makes the Wood Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment the best place for prenatal diagnosis, fetal care and fetal surgery.
In this video series, doctors, nurses and parents talk about abdominal wall defects, including omphaloceles and gastroschisis, and how these conditions are diagnosed and treated at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
In this video series, experts from the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at CHOP present a complete overview of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).
In this video series, CHOP experts explain lower urinary tract obstructions (LUTO), from diagnosis and possible prenatal treatment, to delivery and treatment after birth and follow-up care.
A video with illustrations explains the intricate steps involved in performing spina bifida surgery before birth and the expert fetal surgery team involved.
An update on Abby and Erin Delaney, who were born conjoined and separated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Now now 2½ years old, they are making amazing strides in their growth and development.
Breath of Hope raises awareness of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) by educating and supporting parents, family members, medical professionals, and anyone who wants to learn more about CDH.
CDH International is a global collective of hospitals, researchers, and charities working together to stop congenital diaphragmatic hernia with a focus on advancing CDH research and accrediting hospitals and charities.
CHERUBS is the family support division of CDH International, a nonprofit group that supports families and medical care providers of children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
March of Dimes is an international organization that works to prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality and to support expectant and new parents.
Peyton’s Promise helps raise awareness and money for ongoing congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) research. It was founded by Debbie and Dustin Laricks, whose daughter Peyton was born with CDH.
The Spina Bifida Association is a comprehensive source of information and resources about spina bifida, the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States.