With an increased capacity to analyze fetal cells in the laboratory and the present possibility of monitoring human embryonic development using advanced diagnostic technique, prenatal diagnosis (PND) has become widely diffused in medical practice. The Fetus as Medical Patient emphasizes, however, that PND results are not unambiguous: they may either lead to a continuation of the pregnancy, or to an abortion. Cioffi engages the reader in a comprehensive examination of the state of the question regarding diagnosis and possible treatment of human illness in utero. The book deals with biomedical...