Non-invasive Techniques of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy in Perinatal Medicine

There have been many diagnostic techniques using amniotic fluid or placental villi, for which needed puncture of amniotic fluid (amniocentesis) and placental villi sampling (CVS) in early pregnancy. The techniques accompany some risk factors of fetal demise or miscarriage. Also immature fetal lung was diagnosed in preterm births by the chemical or physical property of amniotic fluid obtained by amniocentesis. Some fetal aneuploidies diagnosed by amniocentesis and chorionic villi sampling (CVS), are now changing to noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT). Fetal heart rate was monitored by invasive direct fetal electrode without monitoring fetus during pregnancy, changed noninvasive external method. Fetal movement observed by real-time B-mode was changed to ultrasonic Doppler actocardiogram. Most fetal therapies were performed under invasive techniques, while recent trends are non-invasive techniques as seen in this chapter.