Comprehensive Fetal Care Center

The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is a clinical partnership between Dell Children’s Medical Center and UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center offers diagnosis, treatment, and management of complex and rare fetal conditions, including fetal heart anomalies, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, urinary tract abnormalities, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Led by Michael Bebbington, MD, MHSc, and Kenneth Moise, Jr., MD, who have developed fetal centers across the country, our team of experts provide comprehensive, family-centered care to ensure patients and their families receive the highest level of specialized care before, during, and after delivery.

The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is the only fetal care center in Central Texas.

In 2021, the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center was recognized for successfully performing the first twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome laser surgery in Central Texas.

Expectant parents who receive a diagnosis of a fetal abnormality may experience a range of emotions. The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center provides high-quality care for both common and rare fetal anomalies. Our experienced care team is here to provide families with extensive support and education regarding their child’s condition, development, and post-delivery care. We are dedicated to an uncompromising quality of care and work with families throughout the continuum of care.

Patients are cared for by a dedicated multidisciplinary care team, meaning families will benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists across a variety of disciplines. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained fetal medicine specialists have extensive experience treating fetal abnormalities and work alongside a team of experts, including nurse navigators, genetic counselors, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, neonatologists, sonographers, palliative medicine specialists, and more, to provide unparalleled care for patients and their families before, during, and after pregnancy.

We also collaborate closely with referring physicians and other partners in the community, including pediatric surgeons, pediatric clinical geneticists, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiovascular surgeons, pediatric craniofacial specialists, pediatric endocrinologists, pediatric infectious disease specialists, pediatric nephrologists, pediatric neurologists, pediatric orthopedic physicians, pediatric urologists, and more, to schedule and coordinate any additional care services you and your baby may need.

Prior to your first appointment, one of our nurse navigators will conduct an intake call in which they will contact you to gather additional information about your medical history as well as provide education about your fetal condition.

Using the information gathered during your intake call, our nurse navigator will schedule your first appointment, which will be tailored to your baby’s specific condition and needs. This first visit typically begins with a comprehensive ultrasound performed by a fetal medicine specialist, followed by a meeting with our genetic counselor and a consult with one of our fetal medicine specialists. We encourage you to come prepared with questions and ready to take notes.

For more information about the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, please call 1-512-324-0040. You can also fax referrals to 1-512-879-6834.

The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is located in the new Dell Children’s Specialty Pavilion that is connected to Dell Children’s Medical Center. Dell Children’s is the only dedicated freestanding pediatric hospital in Central Texas serving a 46-county area and beyond. The hospital and affiliated locations are outfitted with the latest state-of-the-art technology and organized to support an unmatched level of multidisciplinary care for all patients and their families.

Patients being cared for by the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center are able to receive their obstetrical care at the Maternal Care Center (MCC), a high-risk obstetrics clinic located in the same suite as the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center. This integration of maternal and fetal care enhances the overall experience for patients and their families and allows for close collaboration between fetal medicine specialists and obstetricians. Consultation with fellowship-trained maternal-fetal medicine specialists is also available at the MCC for more complicated maternal medical conditions.

Dell Children’s has opened a Specialized Delivery Unit (SDU), an 11-bed labor and delivery unit that provides comprehensive care to healthy mothers and their high-risk babies who are being cared for at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center. Through this addition, babies gain access to the Dell Children’s Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which has earned the highest designation possible for its ability to care for the most complex and critically-ill infants of all gestational ages. Special delivery services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center is the first and only comprehensive program in Central Texas that provides care for babies with congenital conditions, including care for the mother and baby during pregnancy, delivery of the baby, and care of the baby after birth, all in one place.

The collaboration between Dell Children’s Medical Center and UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, brings together medical professionals, medical school learners, and researchers who are all part of the integrated mission of transforming healthcare delivery and redesigning the academic health environment to better serve society. This collaboration allows us to provide you with a team of highly specialized providers who are at the forefront of the latest research, diagnostic, and technological developments.