Guest: Dr. Martin McCaffrey, pro-life neonatologist
Dr. Marty McCaffrey is a neonatologist who has developed a strong interest in helping parents of babies given prenatal diagnoses carry their pregnancies to term and beyond. Accustomed to seeing babies diagnosed with Trisomy 13 & 18, his daughter’s diagnosis of Trisomy 21, or Down Syndrome, was a shock. It was at a conference in 2009 where McCaffrey’s perspective shifted. Medical guidelines projected very short lifespans for Trisomy babies. Most with T-13 or 18 died shortly after birth, where those with T-21 might live several years. Yet, at this conference, McCaffrey saw older Trisomy children and was challenged by researcher Barb Farlow to look at information indicating these kids could live many years with proper care.
Research showed the critical difference in a child’s longevity was directly related to the attitude of the medical community. If your baby gets a prenatal screening that suggests an anomaly, you will be encouraged to terminate the pregnancy. If you refuse, your baby will only be offered perinatal hospice. Those babies who never received screening were automatically stabilized at birth, giving them a much greater chance to survive. Thus, the lack of testing actually helped them.
Listen as Dr. McCaffrey explains how he helps frightened parents become confident advocates for their baby, through birth and beyond.
Guest biography: Martin McCaffrey, MD, is a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Prior to his UNC appointment, Dr. McCaffrey served as a Naval Medical Corps officer, leading the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Perinatal Advisory Board, which oversaw quality improvement in 23 Naval hospitals worldwide. Since joining UNC, he has served as director of the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina (PQCNC) since 2006, leading or co-leading (for maternal projects) the development and execution of all 18 perinatal quality improvement initiatives across the state. He serves as an advisor to Support Organization for Trisomy (SOFT), and Be Not Afraid. Dr. McCaffrey is also a member of the Neonatal Research Network (NRN) investigative team leading an NIH Trisomy 13/18 Study Group, a proposed prospective longitudinal study investigating the natural history of newborns with trisomy 13 and 18, the variables that affect outcomes, and parent perspectives. He and his wife, Teresa, have three grown children and live in the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina.
Resources:
Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina website
SOFT website - SOFT is a network of families and professionals dedicated to providing support and understanding to families involved in the issues and decisions surrounding the diagnosis and care in Trisomy 18, 13 and other related chromosomal disorders.
Be Not Afraid website - Be Not Afraid is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping organizations and professionals to support parents carrying to term following a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis.
