title: Fetal drug therapy: principles and issues.
abstract: The 1990s may revolutionize the care of the fetus and create new options in gene control, immunotherapy, and drug therapy not only to identify susceptible populations but to treat selectively that population without increasing the risk to the mother. Fetal therapy is a notable goal, even now somewhat within our grasp. No longer is the womb an isolated, forbidding environment, but it is accessible with such tools as magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, CVS, Doppler, and sound clinical judgement. Current limitations in our understanding of the pharmacokinetics associated with these chemical temper our enthusiasm. The development of biomarkers for appropriate fetal drug therapy is to be encouraged, but also the development of fetal and maternal biomarkers that will assist the physician in actively avoiding inappropriate fetal drug therapy is necessary, whether dose or chemical dependent.
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester Medical Center, New York.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers