title: A survey of fetal care centers in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fetal care centers have recently emerged in affiliation with children's hospitals throughout the United States. Few studies have evaluated this new multidisciplinary model of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a survey of multidisciplinary fetal care centers in the United States; survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  59 centers were identified; 29 centers (49%) returned completed surveys. Most centers are located in a children's hospital (54%), and the majority of centers (76%) opened in the past 10 years. The majority of centers (62%) are administered by a specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine or Obstetrics and Gynecology. A specialist in MFM or Ob/Gyn evaluates every patient at 90% of centers; a neonatologist evaluates every patient at 52% of centers. All responding centers have the capability to perform ultrasounds although fewer centers perform fetoscopic surgery (38%) or open fetal surgery (31%). Many centers (41%) conduct research protocols in fetal medicine. Most centers (61%) considered the provision of information to families as their most important goal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to describe multidisciplinary fetal centers in the United States. It demonstrates variability between centers. More research is needed in order to evaluate the impact of this variability.
authors.affiliation: Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kett
authors.affiliation: Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Woodrum
authors.affiliation: Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Diekema
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases; D046128:Fetal Therapies; D006268:Health Facilities; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics; D010819:Physician's Role; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014481:United States
keywords: Fetal therapy; ethics; fetal diagnosis; prenatal diagnosis