Techniques de prélèvements fœtaux

This article describes the current techniques used for foetal sampling. All of them are actually ultrasound guided, and therefore generally very safe. Nevertheless, rigorous learning process remains necessary, together with particular attention to the quality of the physician-patient communication. The choice of a technique depends on the indication and on the term of the pregnancy. The most frequently used technique is the amniocentesis which presents a low risk of foetal loss, estimated between 0.2 and 0.5%. The interest of chorionic villus sampling is the possibility to obtain results at an earlier stage of pregnancy, with a lower risk when compared to early amniocentesis. We prefer transabdominal chorionic villus sampling to the transvaginal technique. Foetal blood sampling is still required in some cases, but the risk of complications is higher, around 1%.