Exploring the Evolving Landscape of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy: A Quantitative Analysis and Clinical Survey

The last 40 years have seen an increase in fetal diagnosis and therapy centers and the emergence of professional societies such as IFMSS, NAFTNet, iFetus, Eurofetus, and ISPD. Despite the progress and cross-collaboration, it is still unclear what resources are needed for the creation of new fetal diagnosis and treatment centers (FDTCs). Our study aimed to ascertain the key resources essential for effective FDTC implementation.

A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire was distributed to providers at North American FDTCs. The questionnaire ranked the importance of providers, facilities, interventions, and resources. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and series cross-tabulations for significance.

Overall, 40.2% completed the questionnaire. Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists and pediatric surgeons (92%) predominated. Most centers were >10 years old. Critical resources included MFM providers, a dedicated nurse coordinator, high-resolution US capabilities, needle-based interventions, and patient access to an FDTC close to their home. Although specialty-based differences were not significant between newer and long-established centers, centers older than 10 years ranked additional surgical specialties and a mandatory reporting system as more important.

Our findings offer valuable insights into the perspectives of fetal therapy providers, informing the strategic allocation of resources for establishing new FDTCs.