Patients or referring physicians can start care through the program by speaking with a nurse navigator.
Thanks to prenatal tests such as ultrasound, we can uncover a broad range of conditions that may require care after your baby is born.
While a small number of conditions can be treated while your baby stays in your uterus, including fetal anemia, nearly all others can be done only after birth. The Fetal Care Program team, coordinated by your nurse navigator, will prepare for your baby’s birth and plan any treatment ahead of time.
In some cases, your baby may need care immediately after birth. More often, care can be arranged less urgently.
You may need to deliver by cesarean section. Depending on your condition or the condition of your baby, you may be able to deliver at your home hospital. Some conditions require delivery at Norton Hospital or Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital, which have access to neonatal intensive care units.
Congenital heart defects and neural tube defects are some of the most common conditions treated by our Fetal Care Program specialists. Our providers are trained and experienced in a broad range of conditions that can affect an unborn baby. Below is more information about some common conditions.
At Jessica’s 20-week ultrasound, her doctor became concerned about Hudson’s heart.
Some of the most common conditions requiring fetal care are abnormalities in the heart that are present at birth (congenital), rather than acquired later in life. Norton Children’s Heart Institute uses advanced technologies, including fetal echocardiography and 3D echocardiography, to confirm a diagnosis and monitor the unborn baby’s heart.
The Norton Children’s Heart Institute Fetal Cardiology Program specializes in identifying, preparing for and treating potentially life-threatening heart conditions in newborns. Diagnosing them before the baby is born allows congenital heart specialists to determine a treatment plan ahead of time and provide care immediately after birth if necessary.
The Norton Children’s Heart Institute team performs fetal echocardiograms in the Louisville area and evaluates tests performed across Kentucky.
During very early fetal development, the neural tube develops. It will go on to form the brain and spine. If the tube doesn’t close completely, it causes a defect.
Neural tube defects typically require care from a number of specialists, including neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, spine specialists, as well as urologists and gynecologists.
The Norton Children’s Spina Bifida Clinic offers coordinated care and education about neural tube defects. Our specialists are available in the same location on the same day, allowing families to see multiple providers in one visit. They treat:
Our craniofacial specialists work closely with specialists in dentistry; ear, nose and throat (otolaryngology); oral and maxillofacial surgery; and pediatric rehabilitation to provide comprehensive care for a full range of craniofacial conditions, including: