A procedure for directly observing a fetus inside the uterus by means of a fetoscope, a type of endoscope. Fetoscopy is used to diagnose various congenital abnormalities before the baby is born. Because the technique carries some risks, it is performed only when other tests such as ultrasound scanning have detected an abnormality. By attaching additional instruments, it is also possible to use the fetoscope to take samples of fetal blood or tissue for analysis and to correct surgically some fetal disorders. (See also amniocentesis; chorionic villus sampling.)
Fetoscopy |
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