Fetal Therapy Program

Program Directors

Chia-Ling Nhan-Chang, M.D., M.S.
Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Director of Advanced Fetal Therapy and Complex Imaging

Leah Lamale-Smith, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Director of Ultrasound

 Our Specialists

• Ballas, Jerasimos, M.D., M.P.H.
• Emeruwa, Ukachi, M.D., M.P.H.
• Gyamfi-Bannerman, Cynthia, M.D., M.S.
• Hahn, Michael, M.D., Ph.D.
• Lamale-Smith, Leah, M.D.
• Laurent, Louise, M.D., Ph.D.
• Moore, Thomas R., M.D.
• Nhan-Chang, Chia-Ling, M.D.
• Ramos, Sandy, M.D.
• Teal, Nicole, M.D., M.P.H.
• Wen, Timothy, M.D., M.P.H.
• Woelkers, Douglas, M.D.
• Wolf, Richard, D.O., M.P.H.

About the Program

Therapeutic Medical Education

The UC San Diego Fetal Therapy Program is committed to advancing medical education in prenatal diagnosis, fetal therapy, and postnatal care for complex congenital conditions. Students, residents, and fellows participate in multidisciplinary clinics and conferences where they learn to develop evidence-based, individualized care plans in collaboration with maternal, pediatric, imaging, genetic, and social work specialists. This integrative approach provides trainees with both the technical skills and compassionate framework necessary to manage high-risk pregnancies, including complex twins and high-order multiple gestations as well as rare genetic disorders. Within the UC San Diego's academic and medical environment, trainees gain experience in advanced ultrasound imaging, fetal interventions, and emerging therapeutics aimed at improving outcomes for newborns with life-threatening fetal conditions.

Procedures performed at UCSD Fetal Center

• Prenatal Diagnosis and 3D/4D Imaging
• Prenatal echocardiogram
• Invasive Procedures for Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis
  • Amniocentesis
  • Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS)
  • Placental biopsy
  • Microarray and whole exome sequencing
• Intrauterine fetal therapy 
  • Amnioinfusion therapy
  • EXIT procedure
  • Fetal blood sampling and Intra-uterine transfusion
  • Fetal shunt therapy
  • Microwave ablation
  • Paracentesis, thoracentesis, vesicocentesis
  • Selective reduction
• Maternal immune therapy for prevention of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and fetal anemia

Conditions and Treatments served by the Program

• High-Risk Pregnancy
• Prenatal Diagnosis and 3D/4D Imaging
• Invasive  Procedures for Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis
  • Amniocentesis
  • Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS)
  • Placental biopsy
  • Microarray and whole exome sequencing
• Intrauterine fetal therapy 
  • Amnioinfusion therapy
  • EXIT procedure
  • Fetal blood sampling and Intra-uterine transfusion
  • Fetal shunt therapy
  • Microwave ablation
  • Pericentesis, thoracentesis, vescicocentesis
  • Selective reduction
• Congenital fetal anomalies
• Alloimmunization
• Fetal Blood Sampling and Intrauterine Transfusion
• Fetal anemia 
• Fetal growth restriction
• Fetal infections
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Parvovirus
  • Toxoplasmosis
• Fetal tumors and hematologic disorders
  • Hemophilia
  • Sacrococcygeal teratoma
  • Thalassemia
• Multiple Gestation, twins, triplets and higher order multiples
  • Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
  • Selective fetal growth restriction
  • Discordant anomalies
  • Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion Sequence (TRAP)
  • Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS
• Maternal Autoimmune Disease
• Maternal and Fetal Genetic Syndromes
• Neonatal Alloimmune thrombocytopenia
• Prenatal and neonatal palliative care program
• Preterm Birth Prevention

Fetal Therapy Care

"As San Diego's only fetal therapy program, we aim to provide care from the pre-conceptional period to prenatal diagnosis and care and to assist with the plans for the transition for postnatal care with our pediatric specialists." – Chia-Ling Nhan Chang, MD

FETAL THERAPY CLINIC

Program Future

The future of our program entails a focus on clinical maternal-fetal medicine research and fetal anomalies being further developed for fetal center diagnosis:

• Cardiac conditions
• Thoracic conditions
  • Bronchopulmonary sequestrastion
  • Congenital diaphragmatic defect (CDH)
  • Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
  • Congenital high airway obstruction sequence (CHAOS)
  • Lobar emphysema
• Neurologic conditions
  • Arterio-venous malformations
  • Encephalocele
  • Holoprosencephaly
  • Meningomyelocele
  • Neural tube defects
  • Ventriculomegaly
• Gastrointestinal conditions
  • Bowel atresia
  • Gastroschisis
  • Limb/body wall complex
  • Omphalocele
  • Pentalogy of Cantrell
  • VACTRL
• Genital-urinary conditions
  • Bladder extrophy
  • Cloacal anomalies
  • Hydronephrosis
  • Lower urinary tract obstructions
  • Renal agenesis