Birth defects affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before a baby is born, early intervention using fetal surgery can treat life-threatening birth defects and improve outcomes in some cases. 

Fetal surgeons at Mayo Clinic Children's Center treat many conditions, including: 

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Angela Mattke, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician and host of Ask The Mayo Mom, is joined by Dr. Mauro Schenone, a Mayo Clinic maternal fetal surgeon, to discuss advances in technology and treatments. Dr. Schenone is also the director of the Fetal Diagnostic and Intervention Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and chair of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine.