[Ethical problems in the use of prenatal diagnosis]

The ethical problems of prenatal diagnosis are outlined, with chief emphasis on the procedural level. On the procedural level this involves not only ethical structuring of the type of prenatal investigations on offer, i.e. acquisition of information and care of the patient, but also scientific investigation of the individual procedures and their effects on the fetus and pregnancy experience. Special attention is focused on the question of establishing legitimate indications for the use of prenatal diagnosis. Finally, as part of a discussion on human freedom, the fundamental problem of human selection according to criteria of genetic efficiency is briefly raised.