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Riley Children's Health

Fetal Center

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317.948.5077
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The Fetal Center at Riley Children’s Health provides evaluation and counseling for expectant mothers with high-risk fetal conditions. Our center offers comprehensive fetal care and support before birth, through delivery and after your child is born.

Highly skilled specialists image.

Highly skilled specialists

Doctors from Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Neonatology work together alongside a team of highly skilled and nationally ranked pediatric specialists.

Fetal heart expertise image.

Fetal heart expertise

We work closely with the Riley Heart Center to provide fetal cardiology for fetal heart conditions such as congenital heart disease.

Diagnosis and treatment image.

Diagnosis and treatment

We have the expertise and skill to care for the most common to complex fetal conditions.

Fetal surgery image.

Fetal surgery

Our growing fetal surgery program is committed to providing the best treatment options. We are the first and only fetal surgery program in the state.

What to Expect

What to Expect

Fetal Center

Our team's goal is to thoroughly evaluate you and your baby soon after a referral is made. Before your appointment, a Fetal Care Coordinator will contact you to:

  • Explain your day of testing and evaluation
  • Give information about your appointment times and locations
  • Answer any questions you have about your day at Riley Children’s
  • Provide brochures and maps to guide you through the day

Your Fetal Care Coordinator will always be available to answer questions or address any concerns you may have.

Your Visit to the Fetal Center

Your first visit to the Fetal Center will include diagnostic testing and evaluation. Feel free to bring a friend or family member for support.

Our evaluation starts with an ultrasound performed by our team. Depending on the suspected diagnosis, more imaging may be needed. Additional testing may include fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) read by a specialty-trained fetal radiologist or a fetal echocardiogram performed by our fetal cardiology program. Other specialists may also meet with you, depending on your baby's needs.

For your convenience, you will do all your testing and doctor visits on the same day at Riley Children’s.

Once the diagnostic tests are complete, the team will meet with you and your family. This team will include a maternal-fetal medicine doctor, a neonatologist, and other specialists such as fetal interventionalists. They will share your testing results, discuss the diagnosis in detail, explain your baby's long-term outcomes and provide a collaborative plan for you and your baby’s care through the remainder of the pregnancy, delivery and after birth.

Riley Children's has a fetal care conference that brings together more than 50 of our doctors from across the hospital to consult and recommend treatment plans for families. This meeting allows your baby's care and treatment plan to be understood and managed with all your needs in mind – medical, social and financial.

You will receive a packet with information about the diagnosis to take home. Additionally, your Fetal Care Coordinator will remain available for questions after your appointment, including connecting you to care team members to have your questions answered.

Please note, for pregnancy-related questions or if you think you may be in labor, please call your obstetrician or maternal fetal medicine specialist.

While a visit to the Fetal Center may seem overwhelming, we are a committed partner. If you would like to speak with families that have received treatment through the Fetal Center, we can help connect you with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

When and why would I be seen by the Fetal Center?

If your baby is found to have a high-risk fetal condition, the Fetal Center will coordinate any additional testing and consultation with multiple specialists to provide a clear picture of your situation.

What is a high-risk fetal condition?

A high-risk fetal condition is a complication in your unborn baby that may pose a risk to your pregnancy. A few high-risk conditions include a birth defect or genetic condition in the fetus, pregnancies with more than one fetus (twins or triplets), preeclampsia, or poor growth in the fetus.

What is fetal surgery?

While most fetal conditions are managed through noninvasive treatments, some conditions may require fetal surgery. At Riley Children’s, we offer fetal surgery with the latest fetal interventions and procedures performed by fetal interventionalists in our Maternity Tower at Riley Hospital for Children.

Fetal surgery aims to repair a fetal condition while your baby is still in the womb. These procedures are not only seen as fetal interventions, but as maternal-fetal interventions. We are focused on both the baby as well as your safety before, during and after the procedure – and leading-up to delivery.

All procedures are supported by a care team that is available 24/7. Our highly skilled team is the only in Indiana performing these complex, delicate procedures. Our goal is to improve your baby’s chance of survival. The fetal interventions we offer include:

  • Selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (SFLP)
  • Vesico-amniotic and thoracic-amniotic shunts
  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Amniotic band release
  • Fetal blood sampling or PUBS
  • Mini-laparotomy/percutaneous fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair

What is a fetal interventionalist?

A fetal interventionalist is a maternal-fetal medicine doctor with specialized training in surgical interventions to treat life-threatening birth defects. Our highly skilled fetal interventionalists at Riley Children’s lead many of these procedures.

Will my baby be delivered at Riley Children’s?

At our fetal care conference, our team will discuss delivery recommendations to safely care for both you and your baby. This may include delivery at the Maternity Tower or delivery at your home hospital. Our care team will present your delivery plan options and coordinate care after childbirth.

Explain more about fetal care coordination.

The Fetal Center has multiple fetal care coordinators that provide support for you and your family during pregnancy. We understand that health concerns can be stressful and we are focused on delivering compassionate, personalized care. This may include answering your many questions, taking the time to review the diagnosis together, or checking-in with you after appointments.

It could also include introducing you to our Advanced Care Planning Program for birth planning for babies that do not have a survivable condition. This team provides comprehensive support, decision making and memory making at and after delivery. All are focused on making this time with your baby meaningful for your family.

How do I request an appointment?

If you have been told during your pregnancy that your baby has a congenital birth defect, your provider may send a referral to our center. Once received, our team will contact you soon to schedule your appointment and answer any questions. Patients may also refer themselves by calling 317.948.5077.

When should I contact the Fetal Center?

For pregnancy-related questions or if you think you may be in labor, please call your obstetrician or maternal fetal medicine specialist. Otherwise, to contact the Fetal Center, please call 317.948.5077.

What childbirth education is available?

To help prepare for the birth of your child, we offer a variety of classes, workshops, and support groups about caring for newborns, breastfeeding and more. Explore the schedule of current programs available online and in-person near you.

What innovative therapies might be an option for me and my baby?

With recent advancements in prenatal diagnostics, specialists can now identify cystic fibrosis (CF) in-utero, which enables earlier fetal interventions. One such intervention is prenatal ETI (elexacaftor-texacaftor-ivacaftor, also known as Trikafta), a promising therapy for certain CF mutations.

By administering the triple-combination modulatory therapy to the mother, fetal exposure to the medication may improve CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) function in the developing fetus. This may potentially reduce the severity of CF bowel-related symptoms before birth.

Note that the use of ETI during pregnancy is a recent development, there is currently minimal data on the short-term and long-term health benefits. Further research is important to fully understand its safety and efficacy during pregnancy.

Conditions & Services

Conditions Treated

The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions we treat.

  • Abdominal Wall Defects
  • Amniotic Band Syndrome
  • Bladder Exstrophy and Epispadias
  • Cerebrovascular Malformation
  • Chiari Malformation
  • Chorioangioma
  • Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Congenital Pulmonary Anomalies
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Esophageal Atresia
  • Fetal Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction
  • Fetal Pleural Effusion
  • Gastroschisis in Babies
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Hydrops Fetalis
  • Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)
  • Imperforate Anus
  • Intestinal Atresia
  • Omphalocele
  • Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV)
  • Sacrococcygeal Teratoma
  • Spina Bifida
  • Tracheoesophageal Fistula
  • Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion (TRAP) Sequence
  • Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
  • Ureteropelvic Junction (UPJ) Obstruction
  • Ureterovesical Junction (UVJ) Obstruction
  • Vasa Previa
  • Ventricular Septal Defects

Services Offered

The Fetal Center offers many services to provide the best care possible for patients. In addition to the services below, our team performs fetal surgery procedures such as vesicoamniotic and thoracoamniotic shunts. We also offer innovative fetal therapies such as prenatal ETI for certain CF mutations. The list below is only some, but not all, of the services we provide. Contact our team to learn more about services offered.

  • Amniocentesis
  • Amniotic Band Release
  • Chorionic Villus Sampling
  • Echocardiogram
  • EXIT Procedure
  • Fetal Blood Sampling and Intrauterine Transfusion
  • Fetal Echocardiogram
  • Fetal Surgery
  • Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida (Myelomeningocele)
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  • Pediatric Genetic Counseling
  • Prenatal Blood Tests
  • Prenatal Genetic Counseling
  • Prenatal Ultrasound
  • Radiofrequency Ablation
  • Selective Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation (SFLP)

Doctors and Locations

Doctors

The Fetal Center team includes but is not limited to fetal and pediatric radiologists, fetal interventionalists, cardiologists, urologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons, genetic counselors, pediatric surgeons, otolaryngologists and more. To contact the Fetal Center, call 317.948.5077. Our core team includes the following providers:

Locations

Locations

Sort through 3 facilities offering Fetal Center care by entering your city or zip below.

See all facilities →

Program Resources

Program Resources

The Fetal Center at Riley has curated relevant resources from other websites and provided links with brief descriptions of the information that is available.

Resources

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Check out the Maternal and Infant Health section for robust information from this trusted government resource.

  • March of Dimes

    Read more about common baby and pregnancy concerns as well as high-risk issues from this trusted organization.

  • NICU Nest Family Support Program

    The NICU Nest Program provides education and support tools to guide families through a high-risk pregnancy and/or NICU stay.

  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana (RMHCCIN)

    RMHCCIN provides a home to keep families together while your child is in the hospital.

Related Programs

Related Programs

We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related programs.

  • Advanced Care Planning Program
  • Cystic Fibrosis Program
  • Placenta Accreta Spectrum Program

Related Departments

Related Departments

Understanding that teamwork, expertise and innovation best support patients, the Fetal Center brings together dozens of subspecialties to collaborate and develop care plans. Our comprehensive care includes but is not limited to the following departments.

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM)
  • Maternity & Newborn Health
  • Medical & Molecular Genetics
  • Neonatology (NICU)
  • Pediatric Nephrology & Kidney Diseases
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Radiology & Imaging
  • Pediatric Urology

Related Stories

Related Stories

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Hayleigh and Rachel Koehn are tiny miracles who survived a rare complication called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, thanks to fetal intervention surgery at Riley.

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Groundbreaking fetal intervention saves baby’s life

01/04/23 Patient Stories

Indiana woman’s unborn son required three intra-uterine blood transfusions over several weeks before he was safely delivered at Riley this week.

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Celebrating pregnancy milestones with Fetal Center photo booth

11/20/22

Patients in the Riley Fetal Center spend a lot of time going to appointments due to complications during pregnancy. Courtney Espinosa, a family support coordinator with the NICU Nest team, wanted to help create something for these families to do during their long days in the clinic that would bring some positivity to a stressful experience. So, she set up a pregnancy milestone photo booth in one of the private waiting rooms. Fetal center patients may miss out on things like maternity photos due to preterm deliveries. This new photo area gives them a chance to capture the progression of a pregnancy even between appointments.

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Blog Heartbeatweb1

Fetal care coordinator focuses on the positive moments of pregnancy

10/11/22

To bring joy to patients, the Fetal Center creates heartbeat recordings for families.

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Blog Finnweb1

“The people of Riley are the reason my son survived”

04/14/22 Patient Stories

Baby Finn was born with multiple heart defects, but he is thriving now, thanks to early intervention and specialized care.

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Health Professionals

For Health Professionals

Refer A Patient

Refer A Patient

The Fetal Center at Riley Children's team works closely with referring doctors of high-risk pregnant women. We make the referral process smooth and keep you informed about your patient’s progress and findings from our center.

Refer A Patient

Research & Clinical Trials

Many of the neonatology and maternal fetal medicine specialists who see patients in our program are also involved in various research studies through our partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine, keeping us on the leading edge of what’s coming next in maternal and fetal medicine.

Additionally, the Fetal Center is a member of the North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTnet), a group of hospitals with expertise in fetal diagnosis and intervention. As a member, our center is part of cutting-edge research in the field of fetal surgery. Some of our latest studies include:

  • Fetal Center participates in national study of complicated monochorionic twin pregnancies
  • Fetal Center partners on study to determine best practice to care for babies with gastroschisis
  • Fetal Center builds research database to advance understanding of fetal anemia

Education

The Fetal Center offers free, live virtual education via our Fetal Care Friday CME-series to provide physicians the opportunity to ask questions and interact with our highly skilled team in real time. To add the next learning event to your calendar or join live, visit live.iuhcpe.org.

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting

The Fetal Center is excited to participate in the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting in Colorado. Our expert team will be on-site throughout the week, actively engaging in various sessions. If you’re attending, visit booth #604 to connect with us and learn more about our offerings, including our Fetal Surgery Program.

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Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2023-24

©2025 Riley Hospital for Children at
Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org


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