Normal fetal movements are essential to skeletal development. Any restriction to normal movement on the developing fetus, either by intrinsic or extrinsic factors, ie disorders of motor neuron, muscle, central nervous system, connective tissue, uterine ambiance, exogenous toxics, will affect the fetus. At the most severe end, the fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS) occurs with highly abnormal or absent fetal movement while a substantial reduction in fetal movement can lead to multiple arthrogryposis. In this review we summarized the diverse etiologies underlying FADS and arthrogryposis, emphasizing the ever-expanding spectrum of genetic conditions specifically on neuromuscular field. Even if there is still almost half of time, uncertainty about the final etiology, the progress on prenatal fetal imaging and molecular genetic tools, will allow to give a better genetic counseling to the family and prepare the most favorable treatment conditions for the upcoming newborn.