Helping Families Well Before Birth
April 2026
The 20-week ultrasound is an exciting moment for expectant parents: seeing the outline of the baby’s profile, watching the hands wave on the monitor, hearing the fluttery whoosh of a tiny heartbeat, learning whether the baby is a boy or girl. But for a small number of families, it is the moment when everything changes.
The technician goes quiet and asks families to wait for the doctor. They have spotted something unusual on the ultrasound.
Instantly, the family’s world is turned upside down with unfamiliar medical terms, the urgency of finding the right specialist, and a terrifying uncertainty: What will this mean for our baby and our family?
Julie Moldenhauer, MD
Reimagining the Family Experience
Julie Moldenhauer, MD, PMH-C, FACOG, FACMGG has spent decades caring for families navigating complex pregnancies identified through ultrasound or genetic testing. Triple-board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Clinical Genetics, Dr. Moldenhauer joined Nemours Children's in late 2024 and began working with our Maternal Fetal Medicine team in Florida and then the Advanced Delivery Unit team in Delaware to envision the next chapter of care for families who learn their unborn child may have a congenital anomaly.
The result is the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children’s and its newly-opened unit at our Wilmington, Delaware hospital.
The Institute reflects a core belief at Nemours: we are in the business of creating health, not just treating disease. If we want the healthiest possible mothers and babies, we need to provide world-class medical services while also nurturing healthy families. By supporting the entire family socially and emotionally through each stage of medical care, we aim to strengthen their resilience and family bonds.
Bringing Advanced Fetal Care to Delaware
The Institute expands Nemours Children’s Maternal Fetal health services, adding the highest level of advanced prenatal diagnosis, imaging, fetal therapy, delivery, and specialized newborn care together in one integrated environment. Mothers can receive expert care during pregnancy, deliver their babies in the Advanced Delivery Unit, and remain close by after birth to promote bonding and healing. Dedicated operating rooms are adjacent to the birthing suites — some of which are customized for twins — and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit are also steps away.
Eric Bergh, MD
As part of the Institute’s expanded capabilities, Nemours has become the first and only surgical fetal care center in the state of Delaware. If needed, Nemours can now offer surgical treatment for the child before birth, using advanced imaging, minimally invasive techniques and a state-of-the-art fetal operating room. For some conditions, this can correct or significantly improve the course of disease and even save the child’s life.
In addition to Dr. Moldenhauer, the Institute’s Executive Director and the Elizabeth W. Snyder Endowed Chair in Fetal Therapy and Innovation, Nemours also recruited Eric Bergh, MD and Nina Paidas-Teefey, MD, PMH-C, expanding the team’s medical, surgical, and research expertise.
Nina Paidas-Teefey, MD
A New Vision for Holistic, Family-Centered Care
To achieve the best possible outcomes, the Institute combines technical excellence and breakthrough science with compassionate support for mothers, babies, and families.
A dedicated Psychosocial Support Program, led by Dr. Paidas‑Teefey, helps expectant parents, siblings, and families navigate the anxiety and uncertainty of a complicated pregnancy. A wellness room will offer a space for support groups, yoga classes, and art and music therapy for expectant mothers who may need to spend weeks in the hospital prior to their child’s birth.
Patient rooms and common areas have been thoughtfully designed for families to eat meals together, relax and spend time as a family, and recover a sense of normalcy and togetherness.
When a baby is diagnosed with a serious condition before birth, the experience affects the entire family. Supporting a strong, resilient family through the course of treatment benefits every child’s health and the family’s overall well-being. This is Whole Child Health in practice.
About Dr. Moss
R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP is president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health. Dr. Moss will write monthly in this space about how children’s hospitals can address health-related social needs and create the healthiest generations of children.