The Fetal Center at Vanderbilt

When you and your baby are referred to The Fetal Center at Vanderbilt, you'll undergo extensive screening, monitoring and possibly surgery, either in-utero or after birth. We tailor your care to your individual needs. You may encounter a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, sonographer or genetic counselor at a clinic in your community. Your baby may receive care at our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after birth. We may also schedule you for one or more prenatal appointments at The Reed Family Maternal Fetal Clinic.

Vanderbilt pioneered the fetal repair of myelomeningocele, a type of spina bifida, in 1997. Today we are known worldwide for this surgery. We have performed more than 300 surgeries for myelomeningocele and open neural tube defects.

The Reed Family Clinic provides families with better access to services. Our clinic has a dedicated procedure suite; four large exam rooms with special lighting and large, comfortable chairs; and five ultrasound rooms, each with a private restroom and the latest ultrasound technology. We process all ultrasounds on site so you and your care team can develop plans in real time. We also offer a genetic counseling room, two consultation rooms and a telemedicine suite so experts can virtually meet with you as needed.

Our clinics and Level IV NICU are located at Monroe Carell's 9th floor, connected to Vanderbilt University Hospital. All the experts for mom and baby – high-risk obstetricians, anesthesiologists, pediatric surgeons and neonatologists – are together in one place. We collaborate closely with your primary obstetric provider by regularly sharing updates, images and test results. We encourage co-managed care when possible so your family can stay in your community.

We coordinate post-natal care for you and baby with appropriate specialists. Sometimes surgeries or additional procedures must happen after delivery, so we see you through the process and help you get familiar with the hospital. The same surgeons and specialists that care for your newborns will often follow your child for years afterward. We are the foundation of lifelong caregiver relationships.

We take part in research projects with other fetal centers to better understand fetal congenital heart disease and fetal arrhythmias. This includes collaborative research projects through the Fetal Heart Society and the North American Fetal Therapy Network. Our ongoing research efforts are improving how we manage feeding and nutrition in newborns requiring heart surgery.