Center for Fetal and Neonatal Care

Your dedicated care coordinator will be in touch with you throughout each phase of your baby’s care. We want to ensure that you are fully informed and have an understanding of your baby’s condition, treatment options, care plan, involved medical team and next steps.

Below is a list of topics that we will discuss with you throughout your baby’s care journey:

  • Concerns raised at your routine ultrasound or obstetrician appointment.
  • Specific lab tests and imaging services that may be performed during pregnancy, their key purposes and how you prepare for each one. This may include blood tests, fetal ultrasound, fetal echocardiogram, fetal MRI, etc.
  • Your baby’s medical diagnosis and how it will affect your baby. At this stage, we want to make sure you have a good understanding of any medical terms related to your baby’s condition.
  • Personal concerns or worries you may have throughout this process; we encourage you to share your thoughts with us so that we may provide assistance.
  • If and how your child’s condition is impacting your family, including siblings, spouse and extended family; again, we encourage you to share with us so that we may help you with relevant support services.
  • Should your child’s condition change how your family lives, we will discuss proven coping methods.
  • Throughout this process, taking care of yourself is essential so you can best care for your baby. Periodically, we will touch base to make sure you are making YOU a priority.
  • Additional resources are available to help you and your family during this time. Based on your specific challenges, we have many different supportive and educational resources available.
  • Complete contact list of your baby’s total care team, including specialists from Phoenix Children’s, your obstetrician, your maternal fetal medicine provider, and any other doctors or nurses who are involved in your baby’s delivery and care plan.
  • Your desired birth plans and location for your baby.
  • Complete outline of your baby’s treatment plan and hospital stay.

You may also download and print this information by selecting the following links:

We truly appreciate you trusting us with your baby’s care. If you have any questions, please call 602-933-4411 or email fetalcarecenter [at] phoenixchildrens.com (fetalcarecenter[at]phoenixchildrens[dot]com).

Questions to Ask Your Provider

When you first learn that your baby may have a medical issue, the following are sample questions that can help you when speaking with medical providers and pediatric specialists. If you have additional questions that are not covered below, feel free to reach out to your dedicated care coordinator at Phoenix Children’s.

  • How many procedures were performed at Phoenix Children’s in the past year?
  • How much experience does the doctor or surgeon have with this procedure?
  • What are the resulting outcomes of this procedure at Phoenix Children’s, and how do these results compare to other hospitals?
  • What are the most likely complications that my child may face, and how frequently could those complications happen?
  • Does Phoenix Children’s share its outcomes with national data programs, such as the STS Database or Impact Registry to help improve care? If yes, is this information available to the public and where?
  • From preparation and treatment to recovery, how many days will my child be hospitalized?
  • What are my options for when, where and how my baby will be delivered?
  • Will I be able to hold my baby before or after the procedure?
  • Will I be able to breastfeed my baby after delivery and again after surgery?
  • Will my baby have feeding issues or need a special diet?
  • What support is available for me and my family? Does Phoenix Children’s provide financial, nutritional and mental health support?
  • What are the expected long-term symptoms for my baby’s condition and recovery process following treatment?
  • What is my baby’s life expectancy, and are there other possible life-long issues that I need to be aware of?
  • As my child grows, what I should I expect with regards to overall development as they enter school-age, teen years and adulthood?
  • As my child gets older, how do we transition from pediatric to adult care?

If answers to any of the above questions cause you additional concern, your care coordinator can put you in touch with counseling and supports services available within Phoenix Children’s and the local community.