Women's Health
Maternity
Testing
Fetal Blood Sampling
Fetal blood sampling, also known as PUBS (percutaneous umbilical
blood sampling), is a procedure to remove a small amount of blood
from the fetus during pregnancy. Fetal blood sampling is performed
by maternal-fetal medicine specialists to diagnose, treat, and
monitor various fetal problems. A fetal blood sample may be taken
to:
Fetal blood sampling is an outpatient procedure which takes several
hours to complete, however much of this time is spent setting up
equipment and performing ultrasound. The technique is similar to
that of amniocentesis; once the mother's abdomen is cleaned with
an antiseptic, a thin needle is inserted into a fetal blood vessel.
This is all done under ultrasound guidance. When the needle is
in place, a blood sample is removed. Medications or a blood transfusion
can also be given through the needle if necessary. Once the procedure
is completed the mother will need to rest in the hospital and have
the fetal heart rate monitored for several hours.
