What are invasive prenatal tests useful for?

Invasive prenatal tests have the disadvantage of posing a danger to the fetus and the pregnancy in general. However, this type of prenatal testing is quite useful when chromosomal abnormalities or hereditary diseases are to be determined. In addition, invasive prenatal tests offer reliable diagnosis of fetal malformations and infections.

Among the most commonly used invasive prenatal studies today are amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. It is important to assess the week of gestation to decide which test should be performed.