Establishment of a fetoscopy and fetal blood sampling program in Israel

The development of fetoscopy and the ability to obtain fetal blood samples have made possible the prenatal diagnosis of diseases not diagnosable by amniocentesis. Foremost among these disorders are the hemoglobinopathies. We report our experience in establishing the first program for fetoscopy and fetal blood sampling in the Middle East. The results demonstrate that the experience and training required for a fetoscopy and fetal blood sampling program can be obtained in about one year. During that year, 23 couples who fetuses were at risk for a hemoglobinopathy learned the genetic status of their fetuses.