State-of-the-art advances allow doctors to correct life-threatening birth defects

Pregnancy can be both exciting and stressful for women and families. That is especially true for women facing unexpected complications from a high-risk pregnancy.

As medical director of the Center for Fetal Care at Advocate Children's Hospital, I meet expectant mothers when emotions are running high. Most have been referred by their obstetrician because he or she has detected a problem or identified that the fetus is in some kind of distress. My role, along with a multidisciplinary maternal-fetal medicine team, is to effectively diagnose and, if necessary, to intervene prenatally to address the issue. Our center is fortunate to be recognized nationally for our expertise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, birth defects occur in one of 33, or 3%, of infants born in the United States. Some can be controlled or treated. Overall, congenital birth defects account for 20% of infant deaths.

Thanks to incredible advances over the past 20 years, we now offer families options to intervene and correct life-threatening birth defects before the baby is even born. It's an emerging field where complex in-utero procedures or surgeries result in the earliest possible intervention, significantly increasing positive outcomes.

We treat a range of fetal conditions; we were the first in Illinois to perform prenatal surgical interventions for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and today perform interventions for spina bifida or, in rare cases, provide ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedures. These are highly specialized surgical delivery procedures for babies with, for example, airway issues.

There are many other prenatal measures we use to improve the chances for babies to survive and thrive. While these interventions can come as early as 16 weeks of development, most occur between 22-26 weeks.

Quickly and correctly diagnosing a baby's abnormalities or challenges is extremely important. State-of-the-art imaging systems and, later, surgical ones, assist greatly in the process. At our center, we'll do a careful evaluation and consultation. We'll help women and families weigh all the benefits and risks. The safety of the baby, as well as the mother, is our utmost concern. We bring together leading pediatric physicians across multiple specialties to provide expertise and counseling, thereby helping parents and families understand their child's condition and what to expect. We provide answers and give women space and time to make the decisions that are right for them. We know these decisions are difficult and we support each patient's individual process for making them.

Our goal is to help women deliver the healthiest babies. There have been such profound advances that make that possible today.

For more information, go to the Center for Fetal Care, Advocate Children's Hospital, Chicago (advocatechildrenshospital.com) or call us at (847) 723-2229 (BABY) to make an appointment for an assessment or second opinion.

We know the journey will not be easy — but we'll be there to support families, every step of the way.

• Children's health is a continuing series. Dr. Suwan Mehra is medical director at the Center for Fetal Medicine at Advocate Children's Hospital.