CLEVELAND, Oct. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for
Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia (CHOP) brought
together a unique community of families from across the Midwest:
all former CHOP patients who traveled to Pennsylvania and either underwent fetal
surgery to treat conditions before birth, or needed specialized
care or surgery immediately after birth. The group of about 100
people gathered at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.
This reunion is an outgrowth of CHOP's annual Fetal Family
Reunion, an ongoing 19-year tradition in which over 1,600 people
from across the U.S., gather in Philadelphia each June to celebrate, reconnect
with their medical teams, and interact with other families who have
experienced similar struggles. Nearly all of the children in
attendance were prenatally diagnosed with a birth defect, such as
spina bifida or twin-twin transfusion syndrome that had potentially
devastating outcomes.
"Babies with special needs require very specialized and
experienced care, both before and after birth. The families
gathered here today represent more than 17,000 expectant mothers,
from all 50 states and over 60 countries, to whom we've been able
to offer hope and support since opening our Center in 1995," said
N. Scott Adzick, M.D.,
Surgeon-In-Chief at Children's Hospital and director of the Center
for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment.
"The high volume of patients we see from around the world with
incredibly complex, rare conditions makes all the difference in
achieving favorable outcomes," said Julie
S. Moldenhauer, M.D., Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist and
Medical Director of CHOP's Garbose Family Special Delivery
Unit.
This Cleveland reunion was an
opportunity for clinical staff and patient families to reunite,
celebrate and enjoy a fun-filled family day at the Gardens.
Patients who attended the reunion ranged from just several months
old to some of the Center's first patients who are now
teenagers.
"It is truly inspiring to see so many children, who as babies
likely could have died, now running around and growing up healthy
and strong," said Adzick.
The Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at CHOP is a
pioneer in the field of fetal medicine, and is one of only a few
programs worldwide to offer comprehensive prenatal diagnosis, fetal
surgery and therapy, and the option of delivering at a leading
pediatric hospital.
Each week at CHOP, highly sophisticated fetal surgery teams
repair spina bifida and other birth defects in the womb, place
fetal shunts to treat life-threatening congenital conditions, or
perform minimally invasive procedures in the mother's uterus to
treat complications in fetal twins. Of approximately 4,000 fetal
surgeries done worldwide, a quarter of them have been performed at
CHOP, more than at any other hospital. The Center staff has also
managed thousands of pregnancies complicated by birth defects like
congenital heart disease in which newborns need immediate
specialized medical care or surgery after delivery.
On Saturday, October 3, The Center
for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at CHOP also partnered with
University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital and Rainbow Babies
& Children's Hospital to host a multidisciplinary, educational
symposium for healthcare professionals in maternal-fetal-neonatal
care. Experts reviewed recent advances in maternal-fetal care with
an emphasis on congenital anomalies amenable to fetal intervention.
Lectures addressed key concepts in prenatal counseling, fetal
therapy, genetic testing, perinatal surveillance, surgical
management and outcomes.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the
nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing
commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new
generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering
major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many
discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric
research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third
in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique
family-centered care and public service programs have brought the
516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and
adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
The Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an internationally
recognized leader in fetal surgery and fetal care. One of the only
programs of its kind in the world, it offers a comprehensive
breadth of services, including fetal therapy, to support patients
from prenatal evaluation through delivery, postnatal care, and
long-term follow-up. Established in 1995, the Center has welcomed
more than 17,000 expectant parents and received referrals from all
50 states and more than 60 countries. Its multidisciplinary team
brings decades of experience to the care and treatment of the fetus
and the expectant mother. The Center has performed over 1,250 fetal
surgeries, including complex open procedures for birth defects such
as spina bifida; less invasive fetoscopic or ultrasound-guided
surgeries for conditions such as twin-twin transfusion syndrome;
and specialized coordinated delivery approaches for babies that
require surgical intervention while still on maternal-placental
life support (EXIT delivery). For more information visit
http://fetalsurgery.chop.edu.
Contact: Ashley Moore
Moorea1@email.chop.edu
Phone: 267.426.6071
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SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia