Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment

Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment
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Learning that your unborn baby has a birth defect is overwhelming. It can turn a time of joy into a time of worry. Know that you are not alone. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment is here. We will support you every step of the way, through prenatal diagnosis, pregnancy management, fetal surgery (if necessary), delivery and care after birth. Founded in 1995, we are the largest and highest-volume fetal program in the world. Our expertise and experience are unmatched.

Talk to a fetal therapy nurse coordinator today at 800-468-8376. We will answer as many questions as we can and help make a plan for next steps.

 

  • Fetal Diagnosis and Fetal Surgery: The World’s Most Experienced Fetal Care Center

    Stephanie, mom: Even though she hadn't been born yet, we wanted her to have the absolute best care possible.

    Lori Howell, DNP: When families call us, they have received devastating news and they call us really for hope. We focus on babies with a birth defect. This is what we do.

    Dr Adzick: As a patient, as a mother carrying a baby with a birth defect, you want the best possible care from an incredibly caring team. That's what we provide.

    Julie Moldenhauer, MD: We have a very large multidisciplinary team that has specialists from pretty much any specialty that you could imagine in conjunction with prenatal diagnosticians, maternal fetal medicine specialists and genetic specialists who are able to provide a very comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the fetus and provide the parents with the best family-centered care that we can, going forward.

    Dr Adzick: We not only do prenatal diagnosis, but we also do, in highly selective circumstances, fetal surgery.

    Julie Moldenhauer, MD: The hope with prenatal surgery is that we can alter the course in a long-term outcome.

    Stephanie: From the very beginning, CHOP offered us hope. They showed us that there was a different way, there was a better way.

    Dr. Adzick: We do our research, we do our investigation because we have an obligation to perform research. Research represents hope.

    Lori Howell, DNP: The Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit was the first birthing unit dedicated exclusively to healthy mothers whose unborn baby has a birth defect.

    Susan Spinner, MSN: The unit was designed so that babies that are born that have birth defects, have accessibility to a very specialized team of doctors and nurses.

    Lori Howell: Every day, I am in awe of what our team does. Families trust us with their lives.

    Susan Spinner: This work that we do is life changing, miracle making work. We love what we do and it's an honor and a privilege to be able to be part of this journey with our patients.

    Stephanie: Each child has the ability to be incredible, just like Miah. No matter what function they come out with, they will be an incredible child.
Transcript Transcript

 

How we serve you

Our fetal center offers highly specialized care for two patients: mother and baby. Here, you have access to the most advanced diagnostic tests, prenatal management, fetal surgery, labor and delivery care, counseling and support services, and expert postnatal care. We are the only program to provide seamless, comprehensive care in one location. We coordinate all aspects of care and partner closely with your physicians back home to make a challenging time a little easier for your entire family.

Conditions we treat

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Why choose us

The Wood Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment offers exceptional care for babies with prenatal birth defects. Since 1995, we have helped more than 35,100 referred; more than 2,522 fetal surgeries. We see more patients and do more fetal surgeries than any hospital in the world.  
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Meet your team

You will receive care from a highly skilled and compassionate team with a global reputation. We have the largest team of fetal experts in the world. This team helped shape modern fetal care and continues to improve techniques and treatments. 
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Our research

Every day, we search for new ways to improve outcomes and treat life-threatening conditions before and after birth. We are international leaders in research that will lead to new and better treatments for many birth defects.
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Resources for families

Learning your baby has a birth defect is a life-changing experience. We want you to know that you are not alone. To help you find answers to your questions, we've created this list of educational health resources.

Fellowships and other resources for professionals

Everything you need to support your patient’s health, created and updated by our CHOP community of experts.

Our Center also offers education and training programs. 

Patient stories
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Events

Fetal Firesides Virtual CE Lecture Series

Wednesday, Nov 05, 2025 - Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025

Join the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment’s team of Maternal Fetal Medicine practitioners as they share information on diagnoses seen in the Center. This virtual, interactive CE lecture series is to update care providers on the latest advances in fetal diagnostic criteria and optimal management to enhance their skills in prenatal diagnosis, counseling and treatment.

Fetal Family Reunion

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Join CHOP’s Wood Center for Fetal Diagnosis & Treatment for our annual Family Reunion, a fun, inspiring event celebrating all of our amazing families.
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What to expect

We understand the anxiety you may be feeling and want you to have the information you need as quickly as possible. Here's what you can expect every step of the way.

Our experience: by the numbers

No other fetal center sees the number of patients we see. We diagnose and treat complex conditions every day. This depth of experience allows us to provide the best possible outcomes for you and your baby. Take a closer look at our volumes.

View the latest updates from the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment >

Fetal Family Newsletter Sign Up Form

Be among the first to know about our latest breakthroughs – big and small. Subscribe to receive Fetal Family News, a special e-newsletter for families that includes: updates on our research and treatment advances, patient stories, profiles of our clinicians, news about special Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment events and much more!

Your donation changes lives

Philanthropic donations fuel every breakthrough discovery. With your help, we can continue making advances that will deliver the best possible outcomes for babies with birth defects.

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