Specialized Perinatal Care

The Fetal Care Center

Most pregnancies result in healthy patients and healthy babies. However, in some instances, medical professionals may identify conditions in a fetus that require specialized care. At NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, our Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine team partners with Pediatrics and Neonatology using advanced diagnostic tools, such as ultrasound and fetal MRI, to diagnose and provide parents with the best treatment plan.

Our Expert Team

Our multidisciplinary team includes neonatologists (doctors with expertise caring for newborns with congenital conditions or complications associated with prematurity), maternal-fetal medicine specialists (obstetrician/gynecologists with additional training in maternal and fetal complications of pregnancy), and board-certified pediatric specialists, subspecialists, and pediatric surgeons.

Together, the team ensures that the mother and fetus are properly cared for in complicated and uncomplicated situations.

Who We Are

The Weill Cornell Medicine Fetal Care Center (FCC) is a joint collaborative program between the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Department of Pediatrics to provide outstanding personalized, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary care to families with high-risk pregnancies. Through advanced diagnostics and expert counseling, families are guided through complex decision-making to develop medical care plans aligned with the family to optimize health outcomes for both the mother and the baby. As the leading birth center in New York City, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian are committed to growing this program to serve all families in need in the New York area.

• Our team includes experts in pediatric surgery, cardiology, neurology, craniofacial abnormalities, ear/nose/throat, orthopedics, urology and kidney care, blood disorders (hematology), and genetic disorders. We also have expertise in caring for neonatal abstinence syndrome and many conditions that make a pregnancy considered to be high-risk.
• We partner with our pediatric neurosurgery team to care for patients with abnormalities affecting the brain and spinal cord, including conditions such as hydrocephalus (excess fluid in the brain), spinal cord disorders (such as spina bifida), and other congenital brain abnormalities.
• The Fetal Care Center partners with the Institute for Pediatric Urology to offer specialized care for infants with urogenital problems, such as hydronephrosis (kidney dilation).
• Patients come from all over to our Fetal Echocardiography and Pediatric Cardiology Service to receive care from dedicated specialists with expertise in diagnosing and treating abnormalities affecting the heart.
• Our center provides exceptional orthopedic care for infants with problems such as clubfoot, skeletal dysplasia, and other problems diagnosed after birth. The Pediatric Orthopedic Service features pediatric orthopedists affiliated with the world-renowned Hospital for Special Surgery, who also serve as faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine. 
• Our pediatric surgeons deliver outstanding care for infants with abdominal wall defects (such as gastroschisis or omphalocele), intestinal atresias, and other congenital anomalies such as congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM).

Diagnostics and Care

To best serve our patients, we offer the most advanced diagnostics and care. These include but are not limited to the following:

Advanced Imaging and Prenatal Diagnosis

We have ultrasound, fetal echo, and MRI capabilities to diagnose and clarify complex conditions and help us determine the most appropriate treatments. In some cases,  genetic testing can identify specific conditions affecting the baby’s health.

Delivering Your Baby

If you can deliver in your obstetrician’s hospital, we will partner with your physician/provider about the follow-up care we can provide. However, if you need to transfer your prenatal care to our center, we will connect you with one of our Obstetrics/MFM (Maternal Fetal Medicine) specialists to oversee your care.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Our onsite neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) offers services for newborns requiring specialized care and is staffed by highly trained neonatologists, surgeons, nurses, and nurse practitioners. There is an operating suite and MRI located within the NICU.

Expertise in Newborn Surgery

Whenever possible, we perform surgery using minimally invasive techniques (such as laparoscopy and thoracoscopy), resulting in smaller incisions, less discomfort, and a faster recovery for your baby than open surgery.

What We Treat

We treat a wide range of fetal conditions and other pregnancy complications, not limited to those included in this list. Please contact us if your pregnancy has been diagnosed with a condition, even if not listed here, and we can coordinate the necessary appointments.

Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery

• Atrial septal defect and atrioventricular septal defect
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Pulmonic stenosis
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Total anomalous pulmonary venous return
• Ventricular septal defect

Pediatric Craniofacial Program and Otolaryngology (ENT)

• Cleft lip/palate
• Complex airway abnormalities
• Craniosynostosis

Pediatric Hematology

• Family history of known neonatal diagnosis of hemophilia, alpha thalassemia, or beta thalassemia
• Fetal anemia due to Rh disease or other hemolytic processes
• Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery

• Aqueductal stenosis
• Arachnoid cyst
• Dandy Walker malformation
• Hydrocephalus
• Spina bifida (myelomeningocele)
• Ventriculomegaly

Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery

• Clubfoot
• Polydactyly (extra fingers or toes)
• Skeletal abnormalities (such as short limbs)

Pediatric Surgery

• Bronchopulmonary sequestration
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
• Congenital pulmonary airway malformation
• Duodenal and other intestinal atresia
• Gastroschisis and omphalocele
• Imperforate anus and anorectal malformations
• Lymphangioma
• Ovarian cyst
• Sacrococcygeal teratoma
• Tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia

Pediatric Urology and Nephrology

• Atypical genitalia
• Hydronephrosis
• Multicystic kidneys
• Posterior urethral valves
• Ureterocele

Pregnancy Complications

• Multiples pregnancy
• Intrauterine growth restriction