The biopsy of chorionic villi (BCV) has by now been applied in approximately 20,000 pregnant women world-wide in prenatal diagnosis. The first experience in the Federal Republic of Germany was gained in the centres supported by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology. Based on a questionnaire sent to each of these centres, a survey of the situation is given up to July 1986; at that time, each centre had an average of 2 years of experience with this new diagnostic method. At the present time, approximately 10% of all amniocenteses are replaced by BCV, the transcervical, ultrasonic catheter control method being applied in most cases. In 89%, BCV also resulted in a reliable genetic diagnosis. Bleedings without induction of abortion (16.7%) were relatively frequent complications. Prediagnostic abortions occurred in 10.6% and 5.5% following BCV. However, every 5th abortion took a febrile course. Genetic diagnoses confirmed an evidently normal finding in 87.9% and a pathological finding in 4.4%. 6% of the findings made a control necessary. Abortion was performed in 3.8% of the cases following biopsy of chorionic villi.