Fetal medicine

Abstract

Fetal therapy continues to be an exciting yet controversial field. In utero treatment of a variety of fetal conditions is discussed: parvovirus B19 infection, fetal thyroid dysfunction, fetal ovarian cysts, twin-twin transfusion syndrome, and fetal hemolytic disease. Fetal surgery continues to be controversial. Despite considerable publicity, fetal surgery appears to be rarely, if ever, truly indicated. A new area of fetal therapy, ie, antenatal transplantation of fetal liver stem cells, is discussed.