OBJECTIVE: Destructive procedures to permit vaginal delivery of the fetus with hydrocephalus are rarely performed. STUDY DESIGN: We performed intrapartum cephalocentesis in 3 cases in which alobar holoprosencephaly was diagnosed in the third trimester. RESULTS: All 3 fetuses were stillborn. Two delivered vaginally, and one delivered abdominally with a lower uterine incision. CONCLUSIONS: A reappraisal of the proper role of cephalocentesis in modern obstetrics is offered.
