The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children’s officially launched in December, offering a compassionate and personalized health care experience for mothers who receive a complex fetal diagnosis during their pregnancy. The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health and its world-renowned clinical leadership will provide state-of-the-art care for mothers and their babies at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware as its first location.

“The launch of the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children’s will usher in a new era of cutting-edge care for mothers carrying fetuses with known congenital anomalies,” said R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health. “Our commitment to deliver state-of-the-art fetal interventions while surrounding the whole family with robust psychosocial support underscores our unwavering commitment to Whole Child Health.”

Julie S. Moldenhauer, MD, PMH-C, one of the nation’s foremost maternal-fetal medicine specialists and fetal interventionalists, serves as the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health. Dr. Moldenhauer is triple-board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, maternal-fetal medicine, and clinical genetics.

Dr. Moldenhauer holds the newly created Elizabeth W. Snyder Endowed Chair in Fetal Therapy and Innovation. Mrs. Snyder, a Delaware philanthropist and businesswoman, is a champion for the health and well-being of children and families across the region. The Snyder Chair will ensure that Nemours Children’s remains at the forefront of fetal therapy and innovation, driving advancements in early diagnosis, surgical intervention, and family-centered care.

When parents receive a serious fetal diagnosis, the excitement of pregnancy can change into a frightening experience. Dr. Moldenhauer and her team use a family-centered approach to support psychosocial needs and facilitate joint decision-making. The team works to create a personalized pregnancy experience and birth plan for each family.

“I’m thrilled to lead the new Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children’s and to further advance research and fetal intervention in this rapidly evolving field,” said Dr. Moldenhauer. “Whole child health begins well before birth. Our goal is to transform a prenatal diagnosis into a positive outcome while recognizing that celebrating motherhood often gets overlooked after the diagnosis of a fetal condition. We are honored to provide a healthcare experience that considers the needs of each expectant mother and her family as our standard of care.”

In early 2026, Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, will serve as the first location in the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health. It will provide advanced quaternary care including leading-edge multimodal fetal imaging, prenatal diagnostics, fetal intervention, high-level genetic evaluation, and complex neonatal care with comprehensive pediatric subspecialty support. 

Families often feel that they’ve missed out on their ideal birth experience when they receive a fetal diagnosis during pregnancy or learn that their baby will require intensive care immediately after birth. The Institute will offer a calming, wellness-focused environment to help parents have the best experience possible.

After giving birth in the Advanced Delivery Unit, all mothers will be just steps away from their babies. This closeness promotes connection and wellness for both mom and baby. All essential care facilities for medically fragile infants, including the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, are adjacent.

“The establishment of this Institute marks the beginning of Nemours Children’s Health becoming the nation’s first multi-hospital, multi-state children’s health system providing such leading-edge services—and ultimately one of the nation’s largest, most distinguished prenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention programs,” said Katherine Deans, MD, a senior vice president and enterprise surgeon-in-chief for Nemours. “This elite level of care will be available to every mother whose baby needs this specialized care, and we think it will have a strong impact on outcomes.”