Comprehensive fetal care for your baby
Dell Children's - Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is the first and only fetal care center in Central Texas. We offer a comprehensive program to care for babies with complex fetal and congenital conditions. From the early days of pregnancy to the first newborn checkup to ongoing pediatric care, you and your baby have access to doctors and specialists delivering the highest level of care, close to home.
Your care team starts by listening to your family and answering your questions. Then we work as a team to diagnose, treat, and help manage complex and rare fetal conditions, including:
- Congenital malformations
- Congenital heart conditions
- Neural tube defects (spina bifida)
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
- Urinary tract conditions
- Other rare or complex fetal conditions
And we're also ready to provide support, education and care for you and your baby before, during and after delivery.
A multidisciplinary care team
If your child is diagnosed with a complex or rare condition, the Dell Children's Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is here for your family. We're connecting the dots across specialized pediatric care and bringing together a highly skilled and multidisciplinary team to deliver advanced care for the most complex prenatal and fetal conditions. Our multidisciplinary team includes fellowship-trained and board-certified fetal medicine specialists, genetic counselors, maternal-fetal medicine doctors, OB-GYNs, neonatologists, and other pediatric specialists. And, your family will be connected to care at Dell Children's, giving you access to the most pediatric specialists and specialty programs in the region.
You will be connected to specialists in:
- Pediatric blood and cancer
- Pediatric cardiology
- Pediatric craniofacial
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Pediatric infectious disease
- Pediatric nephrology
- Pediatric neurology
- Pediatric orthopedics
- Pediatric surgery
- Pediatric urology
- Other pediatric specialities
All the care you and your baby need, right here in Central Texas
The Dell Children's Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is located in the Specialty Pavilion that is connected to Dell Children's Medical Center. We deliver a full spectrum of care, including:
- Advanced imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Diagnosis and treatment of fetal abnormalities
- Fetal echocardiography
- Fetal neurosonology
- Fetal surgery
- Genetic counseling
- Holistic care (including child life and social worker consultations)
- In-person surgical consultation
- Invasive diagnostics
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Mental health services
- Neonatal care
- Palliative care
- Pre- and post-natal care
When you choose Dell Children's for your baby's care, you're connected to high-level specialty care from early in pregnancy to ongoing pediatric care after your child is born.
- Highest level surgery center: If surgery is needed, we're here to deliver advanced surgical care for your child. Dell Children's has the only Level I Children's Surgical Program. This means babies born with complex congenital conditions who need surgical care have access to our highly experienced pediatric specialists and surgeons who treat congenital anomalies.
- Highest level NICU: If your baby is born with a rare or complex condition, Dell Children's is home to a Level IV NICU, which offers the highest level of care for premature and newborn babies. The NICU provides comprehensive multidisciplinary care for the most complex and critically ill infants of all gestational ages. Neonatologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, and respiratory therapists work together to care for premature and critically ill newborns.
- Pediatric cardiac care unit: Babies that are born with congenital heart disease will be admitted to the Pediatric Cardiac Care Unit located within Dell Children's directly after birth. This unit is dedicated to delivering highly specialized, cardiac care to infants, children and adolescents diagnosed with congenital or acquired heart conditions.
- Care for expecting moms: A state-of-the-art labor and delivery unit inside Dell Children's Medical Center means care for moms and babies diagnosed with a fetal condition during pregnancy, delivery and beyond, right here in Central Texas. Mom and baby will have comprehensive care and support during high-risk deliveries. And your family will have access to the NICU and pediatric specialty care at Dell Children's. This means your regular OB-GYN visits, prenatal care and labor and delivery are all in one place.
Maternity care at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center
Getting the right care for you and your baby is important. If you and your baby are being cared for by specialists at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center at Dell Children's Medical Center, you can get your maternity care in the same suite at the Maternal Care Center. Your fetal and maternity care team work together as one, multi-specialty care team dedicated to you and your baby's care. Scheduling your appointments and getting the care you need is now more convenient than ever with both specialty care centers located in the same place.
To be seen at the Maternal Care Center, you must be a patient at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center. Your OB-GYN will help connect the dots for your care and transfer your maternity care to the Maternal Care Center. If you choose to continue care with your OB-GYN, we will work closely with your OB-GYN throughout your pregnancy and delivery. And if you have a need for additional care, our maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists are here for you and your family. We offer consultations with MFM specialists at the Maternal Care Center.
If you are a patient of the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center and would like to make an appointment at the Maternal Care Center, please call 512-324-0042. If you are not a patient at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center and would like to learn more, please call 512-324-0040 or talk with your OB-GYN.
Nurse navigators
Before your first appointment, our nurse navigator will call you to gather information and answer any questions you may have. Your first visit usually includes an ultrasound and a consultation with a fetal medicine specialist.
After your appointment, your nurse navigator will be here to provide support to your family. They can help you coordinate appointments, provide resources and answer your questions.
To schedule an appointment, call 512-324-0040.
Collaborating with UT Health Austin
The collaboration between Dell Children's Medical Center and UT Health Austin brings together medical professionals, medical school learners, and researchers who are all part of the integrated mission of transforming health care and redesigning the academic health environment to better serve society. This collaboration allows us to provide you with a team of highly specialized providers who are at the forefront of the latest research, diagnostic, and technological developments.