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D. Gary Benfield, MD, Fetal Treatment Center

Back to High-Risk Pregnancy

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If your unborn child has a suspected or confirmed medical condition or birth defect, we provide seamless, coordinated care throughout your pregnancy and delivery, as well as ongoing care for your baby after they are born.

Our maternal fetal medicine specialists work with reproductive geneticists, genetic counselors and other fetal specialists to establish or confirm a suspected condition. We use high-resolution fetal ultrasound and other prenatal tests, as well as family history, to help identify specific syndromes and causes of birth defects.

Our genetic counselors explain the prenatal tests and treatment options available to help you make the best decision for your baby's care. We provide educational and support resources for each stage of pregnancy - from diagnosis to delivery and beyond into pediatric care.

Our nurse case manager is your central contact and creates a personalized care plan for you and baby based on recommendations from our care team. She coordinates appointments with the fetal care team and any pediatric specialists needed to ensure ongoing care after birth.

Locations

Contact Fetal Treatment Center

330-543-8295

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Fetal Treatment Center
Akron Children's Hospital Fetal Treatment Center
Considine Professional Building
215 West Bowery Street
Level 5
Akron, Ohio 44308
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Our Doctors/Providers

Nurse Practitioners/Physician Assistants:

Sue Nicholas, MSN, APRN-CNP

Certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Other Providers:

Laura Benedict, MS, CGC

Licensed, Certified Genetic Counselor

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Postpartum

If you’re struggling with worry, sadness or other negative feelings during or after pregnancy, we have on-site psychologists to help you cope with difficult thoughts and feelings.

Our team of psychologists specialize in treating moms with:

  • High-risk pregnancies
  • Patients with serious medical or physical problems
  • Teenage pregnancy and motherhood
  • Postpartum depression and/or anxiety

Are you:

  • Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions?
  • Feeling worried, anxious or overwhelmed?
  • Feeling sad, hopeless or crying a lot?
  • Experiencing mood swings, irritability or anger?
  • Feeling fatigued, having trouble sleeping or experiencing changes in appetite?
  • Feeling out of control?
  • Having thoughts of hurting yourself or your child(ren)?
  • Having difficulty bonding with your baby?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, contact your medical provider or talk with NICU staff, to discuss a referral to one of our on-site psychologists, or call 330-543-4500.

Additional resources:

If you are in suicidal crisis, please call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Referrals

 

Referrals are initiated by a provider-to-provider discussion. Please ask your provider to call: 330-543-8295


Some of the Conditions We Treat...

abdominal wall defects, achondroplasia, ambiguous genitalia, anomalies of cortical development, anomalous pulmonary veins, anorectal malformations, aortic stenosis, apert syndrome, arachnoid cyst, arterial tortuosity, arteriovenous malformations, atrial septal defect, atrioventricular canal, bicuspid aortic valve, birth defect, brachial cleft remnant, clubfoot, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital heart disease, craniofacial anomalies, craniofacial microsomia, craniosynostosis, crouzon syndrome, crouzonodermoskeletal syndrome, dandy walker syndrome, double inlet left ventricle, down syndrome, ebstein's anomaly, eisenmenger syndrome, ellis-van creveid syndrome, encephalocele, hirschsprung's disease, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, interrupted aortic arch, intestinal malrotation, myelodysplasia, myelomeningocele, neural tube defects, neurofibromatosis, patent ductus arteriosus, spina bifida, tetralogy of fallot, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, umbilical hernia, ventricular septal defect



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