Celebrating 25 Years of Fetal Medicine and the Life-Changing Innovations to Come
Published on in CHOP News
Published on in CHOP News
For 25 years, CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment has worked tirelessly to advance the field of fetal medicine and offer lifesaving care for pregnancies diagnosed with birth defects. Here, we reflect on the past and think ahead to what the future holds.
Madison is a bright young adult studying to become a doctor. It’s hard to imagine that before she was born, she was diagnosed with a birth defect and given just a 60% chance of survival. She is one of many individuals whose lives were transformed because of the care they received before and after birth at the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Center, the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the world. Over that time, more than 27,000 expectant families from all 50 states and more than 70 countries have done what Madison’s family did and turned to the CFDT’s expert team for hope and help.
“In the beginning, there was a huge amount of skepticism about the idea of treating birth defects while a baby was still in its mother’s womb,” says Center co-founder, fetal surgery pioneer, and CHOP Surgeon-in-Chief, N. Scott Adzick, MD, MMM. “When we spoke about it at medical conferences, few people in the audience took the idea seriously, and some people thought we were crazy. But we weren’t.”
Adzick and Center co-founder and Executive Director, Lori J. Howell, DNP, MS, RN, were trailblazers of the field of fetal medicine. Together, through three decades of hard work, dedication and innovation, they and the CFDT’s multidisciplinary team have improved the lives of children with birth defects across the world. Thanks to their efforts, tumors can be removed, defects repaired, and conditions that threaten twins corrected, all while children are still inside their mother’s womb. Doing so can minimize — and in some cases, even prevent — the damage caused by the birth defect.
Today, the CFDT’s team has grown exponentially. Under the continued leadership of Adzick and Howell, as well as Julie S. Moldenhauer, MD, the Center’s Director of Obstetrics, the CFDT has the most experienced fetal diagnosis and treatment team in the world. The skilled team has trained the next generation of fetal medicine clinicians, including fetal surgeons, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and fetal experts in radiology, anesthesia, neonatology, pediatric/surgical subspecialties and long-term care, through several elite fellowship programs.
The CFDT was instrumental in establishing the fetal therapy coordinator as a vital component of the fetal care team. The fetal therapy coordinator is the first point of contact for families and guides them through every step of care, scheduling their initial visit to the Center and all follow-up appointments, and working with colleagues to ensure continuity of care after birth. Today, the CFDT has seven fetal therapy coordinators, led by Susan S. Spinner, MSN, RN. Another key differentiator for the Center is its robust psychosocial support, with a team that includes social workers and psychologists who offer coping resources for the whole family. This commitment to providing families the best possible experience recently earned the CFDT, and its Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, special recognition by Press Ganey, a company that measures patient satisfaction.
The CFDT has had countless milestones since it opened in 1995. Here are a few highlights:
As the largest fetal care center in the world and a pioneer in fetal research, the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment has advanced the field in unbelievable ways over the past 25 years. Visionary support from CHOP’s Board of Visitors and individual philanthropists kickstarted each and every aformentioned advance made by the Center’s team, and each member of the team has dedicated their entire career to advancing the field of fetal medicine — and improving outcomes for children. On the horizon are innovations that promise to transform the next 25 years of fetal care and improve the lives of more bright young lights like Madison.