Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis

Abstract

THE fear of bearing a deformed or mentally defective child is a universal emotion shared by most women at some time during pregnancy. Usually, sympathetic counsel by the obstetrician suffices to keep the woman's worst fears from surfacing. In the particular cases in which a previous pregnancy resulted in a chromosomally abnormal offspring or one with known genetic disease, simple reassurance may fail, and chronic anxiety or severe depression may supervene. Genetic counseling based upon a method that could accurately diagnose disorders in utero would serve not only to allay many fears but also to prevent, if the parents desire . . .