TITLE:
Intrauterine Fetal Therapy: Past, Current, and Future
AUTHORS:
Remah M. Kamel, Mohamed Mahsoub Helmi Soliman, Mohammed Bagunaid, Mohammed Ahmed Radwan, Adnan Anas Moallem, Mohammed Borah, Bader Mahmoud Almurad
KEYWORDS:
Intrauterine Fetal Therapy, Intrauterine Pharmacological Treatment, Minimally Invasive Fetal Interventions, Open Fetal Surgery, In-Utero Stem-Cells Transplantation, Intrauterine Gene Therapy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.15 No.3,
March
7,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: As many novel intrauterine diagnostic techniques for life-threatening conditions advance, the efforts of maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) physicians to expand therapeutic boundaries should never be underestimated. This fact can be noticed in the rapid growth and revolutionary achievements in intrauterine fetal therapy (IUFT). Objectives: This study aims to gather the current available data about the intrauterine fetal therapy (IUFT), as a new rapidly advancing field of medicine, from a general perspective rather than diving deep into its complex information. Methods: It is a comprehensive literature review article done at the Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. By using the keywords (mentioned below), a cross-search of seven different medical databases (AMED-Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, BIOSIS Previews on Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, Embase, and the Medline on Web of Knowledge, OvidSP, and PubMed) was conducted to examine the progresses in the field of intrauterine fetal therapy. Results: The IUFT includes intrauterine pharmacological treatment, minimally invasive fetal interventions, and open fetal surgeries. Each of these interventions is subsequently subdivided into different categories. The future aspects of IUFT focus on intrauterine stem cell transplantation and intrauterine gene therapy, among others. Conclusion: Prenatal diagnosis of congenital fetal anomalies necessitates early intrauterine intervention to manage the current problem and avoid further complications. Ethical standards and family counseling should always be considered, and a risk-benefit scale should be applied. Further exploration of this rapidly advancing field is crucial, and extensive clinical trials and studies are recommended.