What FETO actually does

Educational, not medical advice. Whether FETO is appropriate for any pregnancy is decided with your care team. If you have an urgent concern, call your physician or 911.

Module 2 — Understanding FETO · Episode 5

The idea

The lungs of a developing baby constantly produce fluid, and normally some of it flows out through the windpipe. Fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion, or FETO, places a tiny balloon in the baby’s windpipe (trachea) before birth to hold that fluid in. The gentle pressure that builds up acts as a stretch signal that encourages the lungs to grow.

Two procedures

FETO involves placing the balloon, typically in the later second trimester, and removing it weeks later before birth so the lungs can finish maturing. Because timing of removal matters, families who choose FETO need to stay close to the fetal center.

What it is and is not

FETO can increase lung size in carefully selected babies, but it is not a cure and it does not close the diaphragm; the hernia is still repaired after birth. It is one tool, used in specific situations, which the next episodes explain.

Understanding exactly how the stretch signal drives lung growth, down to the cells and molecules, is part of what this lab studies, covered in the biology behind fetal lung growth.

Next in Module 2: Who is a candidate for FETO? · Back to Module 2