本雜志的目的是將原始研究的結果傳達給各種臨床和科學專業，這些專業涉及由遺傳和環境因素引起的人類（和動物模型）胎兒異常的宮內診斷。這被認為包括：基因和其他形式的篩查，目的是鑒別有胎兒異常風險的妊娠胎兒異常的流行病學和病理學胎兒異常（包括胎兒感染）的流行病學和病理學胎兒和母親與宮內發育有關的因素產前護理與預防胎兒異常有關的遺傳妊娠咨詢和選擇性終止產前診斷的心理社會方面產科超聲羊膜穿刺術、絨毛取樣、胎兒鏡和胎兒血液組織取樣、醫學和外科治療胎兒疾病的發展和產前診斷服務的發展和評價絨毛膜絨毛和羊水代謝缺陷的基因連鎖分析和DNA分析診斷羊水細胞培養和細胞遺傳學技術在植入前診斷、孕早期母體血清篩查和早期羊膜穿刺多色熒光原位肛門中的進展從《母體循環》社論政策中分離和分析胎兒細胞的間期非整倍體檢測，出版的首要標準是獨創性、高科學性和廣泛關注產前診斷研究各個方面的人群的興趣。該雜志提供了一個多學科的信息交流論壇，希望借此增進對胎兒畸形病因和發病機制的了解，并促進進一步的治療和預防機會。未經實驗細節充分證實的論文將不被接受，盡管技術問題將反饋給作者，但編輯保留在不改變技術內容的情況下修改文本的權利。

The aim of the journal is to communicate the results of original research in a variety of clinical and scientific specialities concerned with in utero diagnosis of fetal abnormality in man (and animal models) resulting from genetic and environmental factors. This is considered to encompass: genetic and other forms of screening aimed at identifying pregnancies at risk of fetal abnormality the epidemiology and pathology of fetal abnormality (including fetal infection) fetal and maternal factors relating to intrauterine development antenatal care in relation to the prevention of fetal abnormality genetic counselling and selective termination of pregnancy psychosocial aspects of prenatal diagnosis the development and evaluation of services for prenatal diagnosis developments in the field of obstetric ultrasound amniocentesis chorion villus sampling fetoscopy and fetal blood and tissue sampling medical and surgical treatment of fetal disorders developments in genetic linkage and DNA analysis for the diagnosis of gene mutations diagnosis of metabolic defects from chorion villus samples and amniotic fluid advances in amniotic cell culture and cytogenetic techniques pre-implantation diagnosis first trimester maternal serum screening and early amniocentesis multicolour fluorescence in situ analysis for aneuploidy detection in interphase isolation and analysis of fetal cells from the maternal circulation Editorial Policy The overriding criteria for publication are originality a high scientific quality and interest to a wide audience of those concerned with all aspects of prenatal diagnosis research. The journal provides a multidisciplinary forum for the exchange of information by which it is hoped to increase knowledge about the aetiology and pathogenesis of fetal abnormality and to promote further opportunities for its treatment and prevention. Papers not sufficiently substantiated by experimental detail will not be accepted and although technical queries will be referred back to the author the Editor reserves the right to make alterations in the text without altering the technical content.