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Born with a leg length discrepancy on his left side, including a malformation of his left foot, Brayden faced unique challenges that grew more pronounced with each passing year. As a mom, Melissa she feared the impact on Brayden’s hips, back, and overall well-being. Despite the obstacles, Brayden’s resilience and the unwavering support of Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware have been a beacon of hope. Living With A Leg Length Discrepancy From the moment he was born, it was clear that everything on Brayden’s left side was smaller, including his left foot and leg. The malformation of his left foot was particularly concerning, and as he grew, the leg length discrepancy became more and more apparent. Adding a shoe lift on Brayden’s left side was a crucial adjustment that helped him walk more evenly. However, by the time Brayden reached middle school, the lift had grown both in size and in […]

Throughout her pregnancy, doctors had told Gianlucca’s mother that her baby was missing his fibula. It wasn’t until after her C-section that they discovered it was actually the tibia that was affected—a significant difference that would impact his entire treatment plan. “They were always telling me that he was missing the fibula, not the tibia,” Stephanie recalls. “And then when I got the C-section, we found out that he wasn’t missing the fibula, it was the tibia.” What followed Gianlucca’s birth was an exhausting search for the right medical team. Gianlucca’s mother visited 11 different orthopedic surgeons, all of whom recommended the same thing: bilateral amputation with prosthetics for both legs. “They were all telling me that it was best to amputate both and then Gianlucca can use prosthetics,” she explains. But as a mother, something told her to keep searching for other options. Her persistence led her to Dr. […]

For weeks, Charlize had been experiencing random high fevers, which were thought to be simple urinary tract infections (UTIs). The Berrios family, however, knew something more was going on. Concerned and persistent, they sought further testing, and Charlize’s pediatrician suggested a test for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). The family was then directed to a nearby children’s hospital for testing. After a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), Charlize’s VUR was confirmed on September 11th, 2019. Finally, there was a name for what Charlize was experiencing, but the road ahead was uncertain. Life returned to a semblance of normalcy, but her regular VCUG tests loomed large. These procedures were not only physically uncomfortable for Charlize but also emotionally taxing. Each test left her increasingly fearful of healthcare settings. Omar, Charlize’s father, found himself in a particularly difficult position. “I was often expected to hold down my own child to enable the staff to administer the […]

When you’re told that you or your baby needs extended monitoring during a pregnancy complicated by a congenital anomaly or fetal diagnosis, it can feel overwhelming. This is especially true when you are cared for within a fetal center. Perhaps you came in for a routine appointment, or maybe something unexpected happened that brought you to the hospital. Either way, the news that you’ll need to stay longer can stir up a whirlwind of emotions — worry, frustration, loneliness, and uncertainty about what lies ahead. If you’re reading this, you may be facing this reality as an expectant parent within a fetal center right now, or perhaps you want to be prepared just in case. In a fetal center, the need for extended monitoring varies greatly, but it’s a precaution that helps ensure both you and your baby receive the specialized care you need, and there are ways to make […]

Discovering you’ve been referred to a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist can feel overwhelming at first, but understanding this pivotal step in your prenatal care journey can transform uncertainty into empowerment. Whether you’re facing a high-risk pregnancy, managing a chronic condition, or simply need specialized monitoring, an MFM specialist brings advanced expertise to support both you and your growing baby. Here’s what that referral means and what you can expect next. What is Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM)? Maternal-fetal medicine specialists are dual-board-certified obstetricians with advanced training in high-risk pregnancy, and many people also use the term high-risk obstetrician for MFM specialists. There’s an additional layer to the MFM meaning beyond just the acronym. The hyphen in maternal-fetal medicine represents medicine that treats maternal and fetal health as fundamentally linked. It’s an approach to care that recognizes you can’t truly focus on outcomes for the baby without also caring for the mother, and […]

Walking into June’s routine wellness checkup, I expected the usual and we received a reassuring, positive report that told us our daughter was thriving. Before the appointment ended, I shared one remaining concern my husband had asked me to mention: that one of June’s legs appeared slightly shorter than the other. The doctor reexamined June on the table, extended her legs, and noted the difference. She immediately wrote a referral for an X-ray and recommended we have it done right away. We went directly next door for imaging, and later that same day the pediatrician called to confirm that the X-ray showed Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH). June was a happy, thriving baby who met her milestones and appeared unaffected in her day-to-day activities. Because there were no obvious limitations, the diagnosis was a complete shock to us. We learned about Nemours Children’s the same day we received June’s […]