2023-2024 Fetal Institute Research Continuation

The Brianna Marie Foundation has continued to partner with the Fetal Institute out of Miami Florida. In 2023, the Fetal Institute used the funds for Institutional Review Boards, publications, and outcome data collection.  These are key for new procedures to become standards and approved by the FDA.  In 2024, they will continue their clinical trial and use the funds provided by the Brianna Marie Foundation for the study of their fetoscopic repair of open spina bifida, which they hope to complete in 2025!

In addition, the Fetal Institute has almost completed an animal study on congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The results of this study may represent a paradigm shift in the antenatal management of this condition. They are also developing a shunt to treat fetuses with pleural effusion effectively and they continue to work on the shunt for fetal bladder obstruction.

With the Brianna Marie Foundation’s help, they completed a multicenter international analysis on the clinical value of the QLI as a gestational-age independent ultrasound index of fetal right lung size, which they published in a peer-reviewed journal, (Kontopoulos, Bulman et al. 2023). This publication confirms the role of ultrasound in assessing fetal right lung size using our published index, the QLI, which can be used to predict which patients affected by conditions that could result in pulmonary hypoplasia could benefit from antenatal treatment.