Our Services

Services at the Fetal Concerns Center include access to: 

Advanced medical care

Our physicians specialize in high-risk pregnancies. If needed, Children's Hospital physicians, who specialize in more than 70 pediatric medical disciplines, are steps away.

The Fetal Concerns Center of Wisconsin also has access to the state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children's Hospital. The level IV NICU is a 43-bed facility that cares for more than 700 neonates each year and has ample space to give babies the unique support they need to thrive and grow, including special pods for twins and triplets to allow families to stay together. We often receive the sickest newborns from other NICUs throughout the state and northern Illinois for treatment.

Child life specialists

Child life specialists are experts in child development, who promote effective coping through play, preparation, education and self-expression activities. Child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings and other family members.

Diagnosis of birth defects

Maternal fetal medicine specialists are skilled in performing fetal ultrasounds or other tests to determine unusual or abnormal fetal growth or health-related findings. Often patients are referred for confirmation of a suspected fetal problem and the supportive services offered at the center.

Genetic counseling

Genetic counselors, who work closely with medical geneticists on staff at the Medical College, are available to help patient families understand genetic disorders, discuss prenatal testing options and determine risks to future pregnancies. Genetic counselors also can help connect patient families to support and educational resources.

Lactation services

Lactation consultants help make sure mothers and babies get off to a good start, even if the baby has a condition that makes breastfeeding difficult. Certified lactation consultants are available to talk with parents over the phone, at the bedside or during prenatal visits. Lactation rooms, breast pumps and refrigerators for storing breast milk are available in the NICU. More than 60 percent of infants in the NICU receive breast milk as their primary source of nutrition at the time of discharge.

Medical ethics counseling

Sometimes, pregnancies involving maternal or fetal health issues can force families to make difficult moral or ethical decisions. The Fetal Concerns Center offers compassionate, expert counseling to help families navigate their way through this decision-making process.

Specialized nurse care coordinators

All care is arranged through a dedicated, specifically trained fetal nurse care coordinator. The nurse provides information about counseling and support and becomes a "familiar face" who can help ease stress and save time for the family.

These nurses connect families with the services they need to have all necessary information and support regarding their baby's diagnosis and what to expect following the baby's birth. Some of these services include meeting with specialists in newborn care, lactation, pediatric surgeons, cardiologists, and other specialized physicians and healthcare professionals.

Palliative care

Even after everything medically possible has been done, difficult decisions sometimes must be made. The Fetal Concerns Center is a world leader in palliative care practices and can help the patient family plan how they want their baby cared for. This plan can be used at any hospital where the child will be born.