Fetal Care Center

We offer hope and comprehensive fetal care for the most complex fetal anomalies in high-risk pregnancies.

At the Fetal Care Center at Connecticut Children’s, we specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide variety of fetal conditions before birth. We offer:

  • Second opinions and consultations with your maternal health provider to understand your individual needs. 
  • Advanced diagnostic tools like ultrasound, fetal MRI and fetal echocardiograms, which allow us to create detailed images of your baby’s development. 
  • A single-day, comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, during which our specialists will provide you with a clear understanding of your baby’s condition and a personalized plan for care. 

We’ll walk you through the entire process, from diagnosis to delivery, so you’re fully informed and supported.

Speak to a Care Consultant Today

Facing a high-risk pregnancy can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone. At Connecticut Children’s Fetal Care Center, we’re here to provide expert care and compassionate support for both you and your baby.

Call us today
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Care for Any Condition

The Fetal Care Center at Connecticut Children’s provides comprehensive prenatal diagnosis and the full spectrum of fetal surgical interventions for a wide range of conditions.  Each condition is approached with a combination of advanced medical treatment and compassionate support for families.

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Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

Our team approach to treating CDH dramatically improves survival rates and reduces the need for life support following surgery.

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Myelomeningocele (MMC)

The Fetal Care Center offers treatment options for MMC that include repair during pregnancy or soon after birth.

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Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)

Over the past 25 years, Timothy Crombleholme, MD, has performed more than 1,000 procedures for patients with TTTS.

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Omphalocele

Omphalocele is a birth defect where a baby's abdominal organs, such as the liver or intestines, stick outside of their belly.  This may occur early in pregnancy when the abdominal wall does not form properly.

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Gastroschisis

Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect that is characterized by a full-thickness defect to the right of the umbilical cord. The defect is present as early as the 6th week of gestation. There are several theories in regard to what causes gastroschisis. Our team is in front of it.

We treat a wide range of fetal complex conditions; we go beyond the list of conditions:

  • amniotic band sequence
  • bladder outlet obstruction
  • cervical teratoma
  • congenital pulmonary airway malformation
  • duodenal atresia
  • fetal arrhythmias
  • fetal renal failure
  • omphalocele

Services & Treatment

At Connecticut Children’s Fetal Care Center, our team of experts is committed to bringing you and your family the comfort and confidence needed to get through your journey during and after pregnancy. We develop customized care for you and your baby that may require one or more of the following services.

Depending on your needs, the following tests or imaging may be performed:

  • Fetal Ultrasound
  • Fetal Echocardiogram
  • Fetal MRI
  • Diagnostic Fetoscopy
  • Amniocentesis
  • Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
  • Fetal Blood Sampling
  • Microarray Analysis

You may be referred to a genetic counselor as part of your diagnosis and treatment at the Fetal Care Center. Genetic Counselors are specially trained healthcare professionals who assist in obtaining detailed family histories and offer guidance regarding specific tests, birth defects, genetic disorders, and other possible inherited conditions in conjunction with Medical Geneticists.

If you’re scheduled to meet with a Genetic Counselor, consult with your family members and prepare to share your family history of any genetic conditions.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists are highly trained to focus on childbirth and the care of pregnant women. They are often seen as high-risk pregnancy experts who specialize in prenatal ultrasound and management of maternal complications of pregnancy and fetal anomalies.

Through our Pediatric Care Alliance with Hartford HealthCare, patients have access to maternal-fetal medicine specialists and obstetricians — and confidence knowing our best-in-class specialty providers are coordinating care. 

Your baby may have a medical condition that requires surgery before or immediately after birth. Find reassurance in the fact that our fetal and pediatric surgeons are renowned both nationally and globally for their expertise. We provide a comprehensive range of fetal surgeries for conditions that benefit from in utero intervention. While our surgeons prioritize minimally invasive procedures to minimize risks for both you and your baby, certain conditions may still require open fetal surgery.

The following surgeries and procedures are available at the Fetal Care Center:

  • ultrasound guided fetal intervention
  • fetoscopic surgery
  • open fetal surgery
  • ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure
  • fetoscopic tracheal occlusion for congenital diaphragmatic hernia
  • bladder and chest shunt placement
  • fetoscopic laser ablation (LASER)
  • lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO)
  • amnioinfusion
  • amnioreduction
  • myelomeningocele repair (spina bifida)
  • fetal thoracentesis
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Dedicated Team of Specialized Experts

We are a multidisciplinary fetal care team. This means we bring experts in fetal surgery, cardiology, cardiac surgery, fetal imaging, genetics, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, surgery, and urology together to offer the best plan of care for you and your baby. Feel confident and at ease with a team of specialists right beside you. From travel coordination to post-birth, we provide support every step of the way.

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Meet Dr. Crombleholme

Timothy M. Crombleholme, MD, Medical Director of Fetal Care, is a world-renowned fetal surgeon with more than 35 years' experience in fetoscopic surgery, open fetal surgery, image-guided fetal intervention, and EXIT procedures. His profound knowledge in fetal care gives babies a fighting chance to live and thrive.

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Be Confident

For your baby's best care, a comprehensive, expert evaluation is critical. Reach out to us to gain confidence in your path forward.

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Empowering Families with Hope

Together, we are able to deliver high-quality, comprehensive patient care. As a critical member of our care team, we are dedicated to supporting your needs and making it easier for you to access important information, communicate with our providers, and refer your patient to Connecticut Children’s when necessary. 

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Where shadows fall, we bring hope.

Ester and Samuel searched high and low for someone to help their unborn baby diagnosed with spina bifida. Just when they were beginning to lose hope, they received a lifesaving call from world-renowned fetal surgeon, Timothy Crombleholme, MD, Director of our Fetal Care Center.

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Information Request

Please provide the following information. Our fetal care coordinator will contact you within one business day.

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