The Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at CHOP

03/13/2026

Happy Friday! It's time for another Fetal Staff Spotlight! This week we're featuring Heather Rowan, one of our Fetal Nurse Coordinators. Read about why she loves her role and why she would recommend CHOP to a friend. 💚

03/12/2026

When Kristen and Nate's baby, Ariela, was prenatally diagnosed with spina bifida, the couple traveled all the way from Colorado to be seen by our team. After undergoing successful postnatal surgery with our experts, including Dr. Gregory Heuer, pictured here with the family, they’re now heading home. They can’t wait to introduce baby Ariela to her big sister, Tzofia!

Learn more about our Center here: http://ms.spr.ly/6181QlpgR

03/10/2026

As we SPIN through our Tuesday, we wanted to share that this past weekend, members from our Center supported little hearts at the 10th Annual Philly Spin-In! The team, Tour De Fetus, joined together to celebrate and honor cardiac families. Everyone had a great time and can’t wait for our spinning team to be even bigger and better next year! Learn more about Spin-In here: http://ms.spr.ly/6187QcjN5

03/06/2026

It's time for a Fetal Staff Spotlight! Meet Nicole Brown, one of our Fetal Therapy Nurse Coordinators in our Center. Swipe to get to know Nicole and read what she loves about her role. 💚 🩺

03/03/2026

Did you know? Twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) is a condition in which blood flows unequally between twins that share a placenta, resulting in one fetus receiving more red blood cells than the other. It is similar to twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) except that the placental connections in TAPS are smaller. Our team is highly skilled in treating this condition and offers testing, treatment options and long-term follow up.

Read more here: https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/twin-anemia-polycythemia-sequence-taps

02/24/2026

Meet Lauren and Seth. When they learned their baby, Samuel, had a life-limiting condition, the joy of pregnancy was met with unimaginable heartbreak. Surrounded by compassionate support from across our Center, they honored Samuel’s life in our Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit and created memories they will carry forever.

In the year since, Lauren has found a remarkable way to honor her son: donating more than 6,500 ounces of breastmilk in his memory to help babies in our care. On what would have been Samuel’s first birthday, we welcomed Lauren and Seth back to our hospital for a donation drop-off. These empty containers are what housed hundreds of bags of breastmilk.

We are profoundly grateful for Lauren’s generosity and strength. Through her selfless act, Samuel’s legacy lives on, nourishing countless babies and reminding us of the enduring power of love.

Learn more about our Mothers' Milk Bank: http://ms.spr.ly/6184QZsjm

01/31/2026

Olly's family, who hail from New Jersey, turned to our Center after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of an omphalocele, an abdominal wall defect in which the intestines, liver and other organs protrude through the belly button. Our team expertly guided them through diagnosis, delivery in our Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit and months of intensive care.

Today, at 9 years old, he’s a thriving third-grader who loves math, reading, Legos and recess, cheers passionately for the Phillies and Eagles, conquers ski slopes, sings proudly in his youth choir and keeps his sisters on their toes. “From the first day we walked into Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, we knew we were in the right place,” says his dad, Jeff. “Our CHOP team gave Olly the chance to thrive — and they are not only best-in-class professionals, but lifelong friends.” 💙

In honor of , read his full story here: http://ms.spr.ly/6187QDubU

01/20/2026

Throwback to 2016 when PBS's "TWICE BORN: Stories from the Special Delivery Unit" was awarded an Outstanding Science and Technology Programming Emmy! A decade later, the stories and the spirit behind this project continue to inspire us. 💚

Read more here: http://ms.spr.ly/6181QBBMz

01/18/2026

From Philadelphia to Switzerland! Members of our team presented at the European Club for Fetal Surgery’s sixth workshop, contributing to international conversations shaping the future of fetal care and connecting with colleagues dedicated to advancing outcomes worldwide. One of our maternal fetal medicine specialists, Dr. Juliana Gebb, was awarded best clinical presentation at the meeting! Swipe through the photos to see some highlights of their trip.

01/17/2026

Throwback to our 2016 Fetal Family Reunion! Hard to believe that was TEN years ago! Save the date for this year's reunion: Sunday, May 31!

01/16/2026

Please join us in celebrating Sara White, BSN, RN, one of our Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit nurses, who was recognized for exceptional patient care with a Daisy Award! Congratulations, Sara! 🎉

Read more about the Daisy Award here: http://ms.spr.ly/6180tCRGM 🌼

01/15/2026

Learning your unborn baby has spina bifida can be scary and overwhelming. In honor of Birth Defects Awareness Month, read and share this article designed to help wade through questions you may have, and be sure to tell us in the comments section what you would share with families who recently received a spina bifida diagnosis.

For parents who find out their unborn baby has spina bifida, the biggest question is often "what do I do next?" Here's advice on where to start.