Project Description:
The Fetal-Maternal Center (FMC) at CHLA combines collaboration across a multitude of specialties (e.g. cardiology, fetal surgery, genetics, neonatology, neurology, and more) to coordinate prenatal medical care through a single center to mothers preparing for the birth of an infant identified prenatally as having complex medical, genetic, and/or developmental abnormalities. The FMC medical team identified a need for psychological intervention to support parents during the challenging time from initial prenatal diagnosis of an infant medical condition through pregnancy, birth of the infant, and subsequent hospitalization. This project expands the Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative to provide services to pregnant women and their partners who are receiving care through the CHLA Fetal-Maternal Center (FMC). We provide model services including psychological intervention, Perinatal Child-Parent Psychotherapy, to parents preparing for the birth of an infant identified prenatally as having complex medical, genetic, and/or developmental abnormalities and needing care in the CHLA Newborn and Critical Care Unit (NICCU). Expected outcomes include a reduction in parental depression, stress, and anxiety and enhanced capacity for parents to bond with their high-risk infant during pregnancy and in the earliest days following birth. This program is designed to provide a bridge to the services currently available through the Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative, filling a critical need for mental health intervention at the earliest possible time. In addition, the project will enable us to develop a replicable model that can be disseminated to other hospitals.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English
