In Utero Diagnosis of Hemoglobinopathies

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Abstract
PREVIOUS reports have established the feasibility of measurement of the relative rates of γ, β and α globin-chain synthesis by fetal erythrocytes obtained from aborted concepti after hysterotomy.1 2 3 To extend these earlier efforts toward a practical technic for the prenatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathy, a method must be devised to obtain fetal blood in situ without harm either to the mother or to the fetus. This paper and that by Hobbins and Mahoney4 report a step in that direction — the direct aspiration of fetal blood from the placenta followed by radiochromatographic analysis of globin-chain synthesis in the sample.MethodsPregnant . . .