Fetal blood sampling: Does it have a place?

Fetal blood sampling, when initially described, was performed at the time of fetoscopy, but is now universally done under ultrasound guidance. The introduction of such direct intravascular fetal-blood sampling paved the way for major advances in prenatal diagnosis and treatment, and provided a new collection of literature on fetal physiology. Since the early 1980s much has been written on the role, limitations and risks of this procedure. While in recent years it has become more widely available, it has become simultaneously apparent that other advances in the field of perinatal medicine have reduced the indications for its use. The aim of this paper is to review the role of fetal blood sampling in antepartum assessment and to evaluate its current benefits and pitfalls.