- Journal of Fetal Surgery
- ISSN 2997-2086
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
The Journal of Fetal Surgery publishes research on fetal surgery and fetal medicine, including neonatal surgery for prenatally diagnosed conditions and long-term outcomes.
What the journal sets out to do
- To publish rigorous clinical, translational and outcomes research on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the fetus, and on the care of the pregnant patient who undergoes fetal intervention.
- To report fetal procedures, techniques and their results in enough detail for other teams to evaluate and learn from them.
- To report outcomes for mothers and children, from the perioperative period through long-term follow-up.
- To make this research openly available, so that clinicians, researchers and educators can read and reuse it freely.
Research areas
JFS considers research on fetal surgery and fetal medicine, including neonatal surgery for prenatally diagnosed conditions and long-term outcomes. The six areas below are illustrative and form part of a wider field.
- Open fetal surgeryincluding myelomeningocele and congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair
- Fetoscopic and image-guided proceduresincluding laser therapy for twin-twin transfusion syndrome and shunt placement
- Prenatal diagnosis and imagingincluding fetal ultrasound, fetal MRI and genetic evaluation for surgical planning
- Perioperative and anesthesia careincluding fetal monitoring and maternal safety during intervention
- Neonatal surgeryfor conditions diagnosed before birth, including postnatal management
- Outcomes and technologyincluding long-term maternal and child outcomes, and technology linked to fetal care
Contributions from the clinical, imaging, translational and data sciences are welcome when they address a question in fetal care. A topic that is not named above is within scope when it meets that test.
Designs and approaches
JFS considers clinical, translational and outcomes research. Study designs are reported within the article types listed below; a cohort study, for example, is submitted as Original Research.
- Procedural studies
- Case series, cohort and comparative studies of open, fetoscopic and image-guided fetal procedures.
- Diagnosis and imaging
- Studies of fetal ultrasound, fetal MRI, genetic evaluation and prognostic assessment used to select and plan fetal care.
- Perioperative care
- Anesthesia, fetal monitoring and maternal safety during and after fetal intervention.
- Neonatal surgery
- Postnatal management and outcomes of surgical conditions diagnosed before birth.
- Outcomes research
- Long-term maternal, surgical and developmental outcomes, quality of life, and registry-based studies.
- Technology linked to fetal care
- Imaging, instruments or robotic approaches evaluated in the context of fetal procedures.
- Translational research
- Preclinical and translational studies that address a clinical question in fetal care.
- Evidence synthesis
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
What makes a manuscript a fit
Manuscripts are assessed for their relevance to fetal care, the soundness of their methods and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence.
Case reports
Case Reports, including short case series, are accepted when the case carries a lesson for fetal care, such as a new technique, an unusual presentation, or a complication and its management.
Technique and technology reports
Reports of a surgical technique or of technology are accepted when they are linked to fetal care and describe the method in enough detail to be evaluated.
Commentaries and letters
Commentaries and Letters are accepted when they make a reasoned argument, supported by evidence and cited sources, on a question in fetal care or on work published in JFS.
Unsupported opinion, meaning assertion without evidence or reasoned argument, is outside the journal's scope.
Article types
The journal publishes the article types below. Guidance on the structure, abstract and reporting standard for each type is given in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original ResearchClinical, translational and outcomes studies in fetal surgery and fetal medicine, including cohort, comparative and registry studies and clinical trials.
- Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSystematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question in fetal care, with or without meta-analysis.
- ReviewAuthoritative overviews of a topic in fetal surgery or fetal medicine, its evidence and its open questions.
- Surgical Technique or Technology ReportDescriptions of a fetal or neonatal surgical technique, or of technology linked to fetal care, with the detail others need to apply or evaluate it.
- Short CommunicationConcise reports of a focused or preliminary finding.
- Case ReportAn individual case or short case series with a lesson for fetal care.
- CommentaryEvidence-based argument on a current question in fetal surgery or fetal medicine, or on published research.
- LetterBrief responses to articles published in JFS, or short observations relevant to fetal care.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A short case series is classified as a Case Report and a scoping review as a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Scope questions
Is my topic within scope?
A manuscript is within scope when it addresses a question in fetal surgery or fetal medicine, including neonatal surgery for prenatally diagnosed conditions and long-term outcomes. If you are unsure, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Does JFS consider neonatal surgery?
Yes, for conditions that were diagnosed before birth, including their postnatal management and long-term outcomes.
Are studies of devices or technology within scope?
They are considered when the technology is linked to fetal care and the work is reported in enough detail to be evaluated.
Can I submit work that has been posted as a preprint?
Yes. Posting a preprint is compatible with submission to JFS. Cite the preprint and its DOI in the cover letter.
Preparing a submission
Read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting.