Christina Paidas Teefey, MD

Get to Know Me

I am a specialist in maternal fetal medicine with a focus on fetal intervention and surgery. I am deeply invested in individualized care and psychosocial support for families who receive a complex fetal diagnosis as well as the added stress of fetal intervention and surgery, when offered or performed. 

Why I Am a Fetal Surgeon Within the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health

I believe that fetal surgery and intervention is an ever-evolving field with the ultimate goal of understanding the nuances of a diagnosis in utero, communicating these findings to a family and then carefully thinking through how we may be able to provide benefit to the baby before birth. This has to be done while also understanding that we are always caring for a mother and her child/children at the same time. Being a part of the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health affords me the privilege of being a part of a collaborative care team of experts that are committed to doing their best for each family together. In these unique circumstances, being part of the “think tank” alongside each family holds a special space in my heart. 

What I'm Passionate About

I am deeply committed to individualized care with embedded psychosocial support in our Fetal Center. In order to do this best, we need to listen to the expectant parents, our patients, who are facing new challenges and emotions each day in their journey. I am very thankful for my mentors who encouraged me to develop additional skills in the areas of trauma-informed care, perinatal mood disorders, and psychosocial support in complex pregnancy care and fetal intervention. As the director of Psychosocial Programs for the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health, our ongoing mission will be to curate a team of perinatal support professionals that offer psychological support and wellness/selfcare services and interventions that meet the diverse needs of our patients and families in pregnancy and well beyond birth as they face the next part of their parenting journey. I continue to try and appreciate the fluidity in which these needs change throughout a pregnancy for each family.

Individualized care includes full-spectrum care for all types of prenatal diagnoses, including those that are immediately life-limiting or life-threatening. These diagnoses warrant specialized collaborative, multidisciplinary care discussions that are centered around the baby and the family and not just “the diagnosis.” We are committed to having these difficult conversations before birth in order to help a family understand the possible outcomes for their child before delivery. 

How I Try to Make A Difference

Every day, I come to this amazing job as a collaborator and teammate but also to learn, innovate, listen, and teach. I feel that communication and values-based care are equally as important as evidence-based knowledge and technical skill. With that in mind, I strive to create an environment of respect, trust, and humility with every patient and keep this same mentality when helping to train and mentor the next generation in our field. 

Board Certifications

• American Board of OB/GYN/Maternal Fetal Medicine
• American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology