The Fetal Care Center of Southern California

Fetal Care Center Home Services Conditions We Treat What to Expect Specialists Frequently Asked Questions Patient Stories Fetal Research Fellowship

When you’re pregnant, you want the best for your baby. We know an unexpected diagnosis can be scary. At The Fetal Care Center of Southern California, we deal with the unexpected every day, and have helped many families make the best plan for their baby’s birth and medical care.

As a partnership between UCI Health and CHOC, The Fetal Care Center of Southern California brings together experts in maternal-fetal medicine and pediatrics, so both mom and baby are cared for—no matter the diagnosis. Our support for families starts in the fetal period and goes far beyond.

With You at Every Step: State-of-the-Art Fetal Care

We provide comprehensive fetal diagnosis, education and treatment plans to families facing congenital conditions. Once we’ve confirmed you or your baby’s diagnosis, we will counsel you on what to expect, prenatal interventions you may need, delivering your baby safely and the medical treatment your baby will receive afterward.

Our goal is to answer all of your questions and provide you and your family peace of mind.
Our team of specialists will meet with you to develop an individualized treatment plan. We offer specialists in maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology, pediatric general and thoracic surgery, cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery and neurology, urology, ENT, genetics, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery and more.
All appointments will take place in one centralized location on the CHOC campus.
Your nurse coordinator will be your single point of contact and will coordinate all care for you and your baby.
Our team approach means we will work closely with your obstetrician (OB), perinatologist and delivery hospital for continuity of care.
We perform and engage in research to advance the care of mothers and babies facing complex anomalies.

Services at The Fetal Care Center of Southern California

technician performing ultrasound on pregnant woman

Diagnostics and Education

You may receive various tests to confirm your baby’s diagnosis. Based on that diagnosis, we’ll provide you with detailed education on your baby’s condition and connect you with all available resources.

Counseling and Support

Once your baby’s diagnosis is confirmed, our nurse coordinators are here to counsel you on what to expect during your pregnancy, delivery and after birth based on the specifics of your baby’s condition.

doctor showing picture to pregnant woman

Treatment and Planning

We offer fetal interventions such as amniocentesis, shunts, transfusions and other procedures. We will also work with you and your OB to develop the safest birth plan for you and your baby.

doctor talking to parents with baby in NICU

Expert Care After Birth

CHOC and UCI together provide comprehensive treatment after birth, with the highest level of neonatal intensive care available (NICU) and access to experts in more than 30 pediatric specialties.

Conditions We Treat

Agenesis of the corpus callosum
Amniotic band syndrome
Anorectal malformations, including imperforate anus
Aortic stenosis and pulmonary valve stenosis
Arachnoid cysts and brain cysts
Atrioventricular canal defects
Bladder exstrophy
Brain and spinal vascular malformations
Brain tumors
Bronchial atresia, bronchopulmonary sequestration and congenital lobar emphysema
Bronchogenic cyst
Cardiac masses and tumors
Cardiomyopathy (enlarged or thickened heart)
Cervical teratoma
Choledochal cyst
Chromosome anomalies including Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
Cleft lip and palate
Cloacal exstrophy
Cloacal malformation
Clubfoot
Coarctation of the aorta
Colonic atresia
Congenital cytomegalovirus infection
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
Congenital goiter
Congenital hemangioma with airway compromise
Congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS)
Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
Conjoined twins
Cortical dysplasia
Craniosynostosis
Dandy-Walker malformation
Double outlet right ventricle
Ebstein’s anomaly
Echogenic bowel
Encephalocele
Esophageal atresia with or without tracheoesophageal fistula
Fetal arrhythmias
Gastroschisis
Genetic syndromes including Beckwith-Wiedemann and Noonan’s syndrome
Head and neck vascular malformations
Hirschsprung’s disease
Hydrocephalus