Our dedication to improving the lives of children extends beyond providing the best care to your baby. Through pioneering research, we are developing new techniques and treatments to expand our future capabilities.
Pioneering Research at the Prenatal Pediatrics Institute
As an academic medical center, our doctors lead groundbreaking research in addition to providing compassionate care to patients. We are proud to be a nationally recognized fetal research center.
This work is helping us advance all aspects of fetal diagnosis and neonatal care, including:
- Accurately identifying congenital conditions and diseases in their earliest stages
- Learning more about the long-term effects of certain congenital conditions
- Advancing the technology used to care for our sickest babies
Children’s National is unique in our focus on brain development and how congenital conditions may affect your baby’s transition from fetal to neonatal life. This is just one of our many research interests. Learn more about our research through the Children's National Research Institute.
Examples of Our Research
- Fetal brain development: Using advanced imaging technology we are developing reliable methods for identifying the earliest signs of brain conditions and injury. Learn more about our Developing Brain Institute. We also are exploring hormonal factors that contribute to normal fetal brain development. Learn more about our studies into placental function in brain development and damage.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders: Our genetic studies are helping us pinpoint premature babies who face the highest risk for serious GI disorders, such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Learn more about genetic studies of necrotizing enterocolitis.
- Intensive care unit (ICU) technology: Our Division of Neonatology is testing new technology for monitoring blood flow in the brain and intestines. This helps us provide additional monitoring, treatments and support to critically ill babies in our neonatal intensive care unit.
- Advanced Physiological Signals Processing Labs: To develop a stronger understanding of the predictive factors in high-risk fetuses or critically-ill newborns linked to brain injury.