A review of approaches to the detection of genetic damage in the human fetus.

Studies in experimental animals suggest links between genetic damage to the fetus and the etiology of several disorders, including fetal loss, teratogenesis, and cancer. Methods for measuring genetic damage directly in the human fetus could provide epidemiologists and clinical researchers with powerful tools for investigating similar associations in humans. Current methods potentially available for such studies include assays for mutagenic substances in human body fluids and for measuring modifications to genetic material at the three levels of organization of genetic material: the chromosome, the gene or specific locus, and chemical DNA. Results of studies using fetal tissues to investigate each of these end points are reviewed, emphasizing studies of chemical modifications to DNA nucleotides detected in the human placenta.