Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit at Children's Hospital Expected Soon

Philadelphia, Pa – May 2007 - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia prepares for the 2008 launch of the Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, the world's first comprehensive medical unit for mothers carrying a fetus with a known birth defect.

Set to open in 2008, the Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit will offer comprehensive medical care, from prenatal diagnosis through delivery to mother-infant care. The new eight-bed labor and delivery unit will allow Children's Hospital's experts in fetal medicine and fetal surgery to provide seamless care from diagnosis, delivery, and necessary interventions through postnatal follow-up. The Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment team expects the unit to improve outcomes for children with fetal abnormalities, as well as for their mothers.

As one of only a few centers of its kind in the world, the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers a wide range of comprehensive fetal surgery services that support patients from the evaluation stages to follow-up care. The Center was established in 1995 and has received over 7,000 referrals from all 50 states and 46 countries and has performed over 400 fetal surgery operations including more than 70 EXIT procedures. For more information, please visit fetalsurgery.chop.edu

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major fetal surgery and research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit fetalsurgery.chop.edu.