Bioethics and prenatal diagnosis of foetal diseases.

The development of prenatal tests to detect structural and chromosomal abnormalities in single and multiple foetuses started some 30 years ago. The use of amniocentesis and analysis of amniotic fluid allowed obstetricians to detect and assess the severity of rhesus disease in the unborn child and decide on the need for early delivery. Today, numerous prenatal testing techniques, including maternal blood sampling, ultrasound, chorionic villi biopsy, and amniocentesis are used to detect a variety of medical conditions in the foetus. The use of molecular diagnosis and other sophisticated techniques allows obstetricians to diagnose many genetic conditions accurately before the baby is born.