Prenatal genetic diagnosis: nine years experience.

The advent of techniques for the prenatal diagnosis of disease represents one of the most important advances in clinical genetics of the past decade. It has made it increasingly possible for parents to make informed decisions about reproduction. Physicians should think of genetic amniocentesis as one more method of assessing the status of a fetus at risk. It should be undertaken for a medical indication only, but the safety and accuracy are sufficiently established for it to be considered an integral part of providing high risk obstetrical care.