Development of Prenatal Diagnostic and Surgical Techniques
Overview
Since 1950, the development of prenatal diagnostic and surgical techniques has transformed the field of obstetrics. Parents are now able to access detailed information about their children before birth. Birth defects are now not only discernable, but sometimes correctable before birth, resulting in a lower infant mortality rate and a healthier population of children. There is some concern, however, that this technology could be misused.
Background
Since the early 1970s, prenatal screening has become a routine part of a pregnant woman's medical care. Certain tests, including ultrasound and amniocentesis, not only diagnose a disorder in the unborn baby, but also give the mother the opportunity to have an abortion if she learns, for example, that her baby has Down syndrome and will thus be mentally impaired. Medical researchers, however, were not content merely to detect birth defects in the fetus; they then looked for ways to help the unborn baby. This search led to the first successful prenatal surgery at the University of California at San Francisco. Today, there are several centers in the United States and other countries that specialize in fetal surgery to correct birth defects that were discovered in prenatal testing.
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