[Fetal blood sampling by liver puncture].

Fetal blood sampling has been performed in several ways; placentacentesis, fetoscopy, or umbilical code puncture. The problems with these methods are technical difficulties and contamination of maternal blood or amniotic fluid. To solve these problems, we have tried fetal blood sampling by fetal liver puncture with a 21 approximately 23 gauge needle through the maternal abdomen under real time scan guidance. 10 patients underwent this procedure. They ranged from 18 weeks to 22 weeks of gestation at the time of sampling. The sampling procedures were done easily and the samples taken were shown to be pure fetal blood by red blood cell sizing. All the patients continued pregnancy after the examination and none of the pregnancies was influenced by the puncture. 7 patients have been delivered with neither sampling scars nor damage to liver function. This method provides pure fetal blood, the procedure is simple and, in our experience, no complications have occurred.