Respiratory status was assessed at a median of 12 (range 3-60) months in 17 infants who had undergone pleuro-amniotic shunting to drain fetal pleural effusions. The shunts had been inserted at a median of 29 weeks (range 21-35) gestation; 12 fetuses were hydropic at the time of shunting. In all 17 cases effective chronic drainage of the pleural effusions was achieved. Respiratory status at follow-up was assessed by documentation of respiratory symptoms and measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) by a helium gas dilution technique. Six infants suffered from recurrent respiratory symptoms, this incidence (37%) did not differ significantly from that found in a control group. The mean FRC of the study population was 28 ml/kg (range 19-34 ml/kg), only 2 infants’ FRCs were below the reference range. These results suggest that pleuro-amniotic shunting may, by effective drainage of pleural effusion and hence prevention of chronic antenatal intrathoracic compression, avoid impairment of antenatal lung growt