What is fetal blood sampling?
Fetal blood sampling is a procedure to remove a small amount of blood from the fetus during pregnancy. In the past, fetal blood sampling was used only during labor through the mother’s open cervix to test blood from the fetal scalp for oxygenation. Today, in many perinatal care centers, fetal blood sampling is performed by specially trained perinatologists as part of diagnosing, treating, and monitoring fetal problems at various times during pregnancy. A fetal blood sample may be taken to: • diagnose genetic or chromosome abnormalities. • check for and treat severe fetal anemia or other blood problems such as Rh disease. • check for fetal oxygen levels. • check for fetal infection. • give certain medications to the fetus.
