Our group works very closely with the high risk OB’s at SSM St Mary’s Madison. (SSM Health Perinatology Group). Once they diagnosis a congenital abnormality or prenatal complication we work together to provide care for the family.
We meet frequently to review these cases and determine who could benefit from counseling from pediatric sub-specialties such as:
- Pediatric General Surgery
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Urology
- Pediatric Nephrology
During this counseling session we come up with a treatment plan with the parents to help address their concern, We also welcome families for NICU tours. We have as many of these meetings as are needed to make sure the family is comfortable with the treatment plan.
Sometimes the diagnosis in utero is dire and we have to go over all options with parents. Our group supports all decisions made by the parents and we help in these difficult cases when there are few options available to the parents. If all we can offer to the parents is palliative/comfort care we have a multi-disciplinary team (social work, bereavement nurse, chaplain, and specialist doctors) that meets with the parents to help guide them through this difficult time.