- 10 procedures for assessing fetal status
- Ultrasonography
- Diagnostic amniocentesis
- Alpha-fetoprotein assay
- Chorionic villus sampling
- Spectrophotometric studies
- Sex chromatin patterns
- Cell cultures and chromosomal analysis
- Fetal transfusion
- Fetoscopy
- Percutaneous umbilical cord sampling
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Fetal heart rate monitoring
- Twin transfusion syndrome
- Shunting of arterial blood from one twin through arteriovenous anastomoses into the venous circulation of the other twin, causing the donor twin to be small, pale, and anemic whereas the recipient twin is large and has polycythemia
- occurs in 10% – 15% of monochorionic diamniotic monozygotic (MZ) twins
- Death results from anemia in the donor twin and CHF in the recipient twin
- Treated by fetoscopic laser coagulation of placental vascular anastomoses



