Ethical guidelines in fetal medicine.

The ethical guidelines in the clinical practice of fetal medicine are discussed, largely from the point of view of early prenatal diagnosis. The discussion concentrates on several specific aspects including counselling, good procedure, prenatal screening, disclosure of results including fetal sex, experimentation and assessment of new technologies and health education. The emphasis is placed on the importance of informed consent, choice and understanding on the part of the patient, and the professional competence of the doctor and other professionals she may meet.