Successful intrauterine treatment of fetal hydrops caused by parvovirus B19 infection.

The infection with parvovirus B19 during pregnancy causes in 1/3 of the cases an aplastic crisis in the fetus and consecutively generalized fetal hydrops as a result of severe anemia. Some cases of fetal hydrops and intrauterine death are reported. In our two cases, the fetal therapy by intrauterine intravasal transfusion was successful and the children developed normal. The techniques and indications for fetal blood sampling and the method of intrauterine intravasal transfusion are explained.