ABSTRACT
Pediatric surgeons are often called to counsel parents once a surgical abnormality is diagnosed on a prenatal scan. The referral base for a pediatric surgeon now includes the perinatal period. Expertise in surgical correction of congenital malformations may favorably influence the perinatal management of prenatally diagnosed anomalies by changing the site of delivery for immediate postnatal treatment; altering the mode of delivery to prevent obstructed labor or hemorrhage: early delivery to prevent ongoing fetal organ damage; or treatment in utero to prevent, minimize, or reverse fetal organ injury as a result of a structural defect. Recent literature has confirmed the favorable impact of prenatal surgical consultation in influencing the site of delivery in 37% of cases, changing the mode of delivery in 6.8%, reversing the decision to terminate a pregnancy in 3.6%, and influencing the early delivery of babies in 4.5%.
