During the past 20 years, considerable advances have occurred in the field of prenatal diagnosis and fetal therapy. The use of biochemical screening, chromosomal analysis, and anatomic diagnosis with ultrasonography have advanced our understanding of fetal disease. Invasive obstetric procedures, such as amniocentesis, fetal blood sampling by cordocentesis, and visualization by fetoscopy, have allowed improved ascertainment of fetal status. This new information has opened the door for fetal therapy. One form of fetal therapy pioneered in the past decade is surgical treatment for conditions, such as fetal hydronephrosis, hydrocephalus, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia.<sup>2 Adzick N.S., Harrison M.R. Fetal surgical therapy Lancet 1994 ;  343 : 897  [cross-ref]

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références</sup> Pharmacologic therapy, which is the focus of this article, has been used both as therapy (e.g., treatment for heart arrhythmias and endocrine conditions) and in an effort to prevent neonatal conditions (e.g., pulmonary surfactant deficiency and intracranial hemorrhages in preterm infants).<sup>76 Koren G., Ito S. Fetal Drug Therapy Clin Perinatol 1994 ;  vol 21 :

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références</sup>