Fetal Conditions We Treat

As one of the few truly comprehensive fetal care programs in the world, the Colorado Fetal Care Center offers state-of-the-art treatment for nearly all fetal conditions affecting expectant mothers and their babies.

Here, advanced technology, cutting-edge treatment and a world-class team ensure the earliest possible diagnosis and care for fetal conditions. We also provide continuous care to support families before, during and after birth.

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our team of specialists is skilled in every type of fetal testing and intervention available, and we are committed to providing the best care to every family.

Fetal abnormalities

The majority of fetal conditions we treat are considered fetal abnormalities or anomalies, which are conditions that impact the fetus or embryo and could have serious and lasting effects for the baby. As one of the most comprehensive fetal care centers in the world, we treat dozens of fetal anomalies and ensure some of the best outcomes for babies with a fetal diagnosis. Our multidisciplinary team works with specialists across our hospital to care for conditions requiring specialized care in orthopedics, pulmonology, cardiology, neurology , gastroenterology and many other areas. This collaboration ensures you have the foremost experts caring for your baby, under one roof, no matter their condition.

Fetal heart conditions

Our Fetal Cardiology Program is one of the best in the country at caring for babies with a congenital heart defect (or CHD, an abnormal heart structure) and their families. We care for you and your baby before birth and through every step of your journey — even into adulthood for some patients with CHD. Our care team has the expertise, technology and compassion to ensure the best outcome for your baby.

Learn more about the fetal heart conditions we treat

Fetal conditions affecting twins

Certain types of fetal abnormalities are specific to twins, and our care team has extensive experience and training to treat them. These conditions often affect one twin more than the other so our team works hard to treat fetal conditions before birth, when appropriate, to ensure the best outcome for both babies. We create specialized care plans for your twins and work with experts to coordinate their ongoing care to help them grow up as healthy as possible.

Conditions affecting twins include:

• Twin-to-twin-transfusion syndrome (TTTS)
• Conjoined twins
• Twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence (TRAP sequence)
• Malformations in twins
• Monoamniotic twins

Fetal genetic disorders

Some fetal conditions are caused by issues in a baby’s genes or chromosomes. These problems can put a baby at risk for conditions such as Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, Patau syndrome and others. Our team, including a dedicated geneticist, provides genetic screening before birth to help you get the most accurate information and make the best decision for your baby’s care. Once we identify an abnormality, we help you develop a unique care plan for your baby and your family’s needs.

Abdominal wall defects

Abdominal wall defects affect the stomach, intestines and other digestive organs in a developing fetus. They often are detected before a baby is born and can be treated in utero or after birth. We have a dedicated team of fetal care specialists who are well-acquainted with a variety abdominal wall defects. Thanks to their extensive knowledge and multidisciplinary approach, we are able to improve outcomes for babies diagnosed with these conditions, which include:

• Bladder exstrophy
• Body-stalk anomaly
• Cloacal exstrophy
• Ectopia cordis
• Gastroschisis
• Omphalocele
• Pentalogy of Cantrell

Genitourinary Anomalies

We care for numerous abnormalities involving the development of the genitourinary system, which includes the kidneys, bladder, urethra and other parts of the pelvis. Our experts can detect, and sometimes treat, many of these conditions before birth. We have a dedicated team of fetal care specialists that can help evaluate your fetus, discuss care options and provide world-class care before, during and after birth. These fetal care specialists represent maternal fetal medicine, radiology, neonatology, nephrology, urology, genetics, ethics, psychology and social work. Including all our specialists in your baby's care ensures the best possible outcome from prenatal diagnosis to adulthood. Genitourinary anomalies we care for include:

• Megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome
• VACTERL association
• Eagle-Barrett syndrome (prune belly syndrome)
• Posterior urethral valves and bladder outlet obstruction
• Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease
• Ectopic ureter and megaureter