Creating a Prenatal and Neonatal Care Plan for Complex Fetal

If your baby has a complex fetal condition, knowing what to expect can provide peace of mind. You need a clear understanding of the condition and what it means for your child. You also need a plan in place for the rest of your pregnancy, your delivery and the care your baby will need after birth.

At our Fetal Care Center, that’s exactly what we provide. Our team is here for you at every step — from diagnosis to delivery and beyond. 

Your Prenatal Care Plan 

Your first visit to the Fetal Care Center at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital ends with a plan in place. It includes the care you’ll receive throughout your pregnancy, how and when you’ll deliver, and the treatment your baby will need after birth.

Depending on your health and the fetal diagnosis, your prenatal (before birth) and neonatal (after birth) care plans typically include:

• High-risk pregnancy care with our maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists. If your baby is diagnosed with a condition during your pregnancy, our MFM doctors work with your primary obstetrician to consult on care and monitor both you and your baby — even when you are otherwise healthy.  
• Regular check-ins with appropriate specialists at our Fetal Care Center. These visits may include repeated ultrasounds or other scans to monitor your baby’s condition and development.
• Tour of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In some cases, a baby may need to be admitted for care to the NICU after delivery. The Level IV Wasie NICU at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital provides complex medical care for the most critically ill newborns. With room for 84 babies, our NICU is the largest in Broward County. It’s conveniently located close to the labor and delivery unit at Memorial Regional Hospital, so families can remain near your baby post-delivery. 
• Tour of the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). If your baby has a congenital heart disease (CHD), they may need care in our pediatric CICU after delivery. Learn more about how we care for babies with CHD at our Fetal Heart Institute of Florida. 

Planning Your Delivery

All the specialists involved in your baby’s care work together to develop a detailed plan customized to meet your specific needs. Then, together with you and your family, our specialists and nurse navigators outline all aspects of your delivery.

Thoughout your pregnancy, your care team meets at least once a month to share updates about your baby’s progress and make adjustments if needed. All plans are stored electronically so they can be accessed easily — whether you deliver within Memorial Healthcare System or elsewhere.

This preparation ensures that the whole team is aware of the plan and ready to implement it as soon as you arrive at labor and delivery.

Your delivery plan may include:

• Where you’re planning to deliver
• Planned C-section date or estimated delivery date 
• Your complete medical history and details of your baby’s fetal diagnosis
• Medical interventions you may need during or after delivery
• Medical interventions your baby may need immediately after delivery
• Your delivery preferences

Caring for Baby After Delivery

If your baby doesn’t require immediate care, typically they will receive additional genetic testing or imaging tests to confirm their diagnosis. Your team will then proceed with treatment when and if it’s needed.

If your baby has been diagnosed with a complex fetal condition that requires surgery or hospital admission after delivery, we encourage you to deliver at Memorial Regional Hospital. Our CICU, Level IV NICU, and pediatric surgery operating rooms at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital are just steps away from maternity services at Memorial Regional Hospital.

That proximity means you can remain close to your baby while they receive the care they need. And because we’re a children’s hospital, your baby can receive skilled care with our pediatric specialists throughout childhood.

Some babies may receive an EXIT procedure that happens during delivery. This surgical delivery technique is used for babies with a compressed or blocked airway or large lung lesions that may interfere with breathing. During the procedure babies stay connected to the placenta until their airway is established.