Professionally Responsible Counseling About Fetal Analysis

Fetal analysis uses noninvasive and invasive methods to obtain images and tissues for interpretation that supports risk assessment and/or diagnosis of the fetus's condition. This article provides ethically justified, clinically applicable guidance for supporting the pregnant patient's decision making about fetal analysis. Topics include ethical reasoning using key ethical concepts, confidentiality, clarity about the pregnant woman as ultimate decision maker, offering fetal analysis, counseling about results, counseling about accepted maternal-fetal intervention, and counseling about innovation and research on maternal-fetal intervention. Professional ethics is an essential component of counseling pregnant patients about fetal analysis and referral for investigative maternal-fetal intervention.