Fetal Family Reunion 2023: This Is How We Zoo It!

Every June, families cared for by CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment gather in Philadelphia for an annual family reunion. http://fetalsurgery.chop.edu

The event, hosted by the Hospital’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT) and held at the Philadelphia Zoo, provides an opportunity for those treated in the Center to reconnect with their clinicians and other families who share an indescribable bond.

Every 4½ seconds in the U.S., a baby is born with a birth defect. Many times, these conditions are so rare most parents have never heard of them, and even some clinicians may encounter only one or two cases over the course of their career.

This, above all, underscores the importance of being treated at a place like the CFDT, where intervention often begins before birth and no condition is viewed as too rare. The CFDT is a pioneer in the field, increasingly treating more birth defects, such as spina bifida, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or twin-twin transfusion syndrome, with either fetal surgery or by providing complex care immediately after birth.

For many, this yearly event is an opportunity for families to celebrate their own breakthroughs and reflect on how truly far they’ve come.