« Amniocentesis Procedure | Home | Investment Plans »
Amniocentesis: Making The Decision
By peace | February 25, 2010
(a) Having a needle inserted into the uterus, near the growing baby, sounds scary, but every precaution is taken to ensure the baby’s safety. The ultrasound enables the doctor to find a pocket of amniotic fluid at a safe distance from the baby. As soon as the needle is in place, the sharp point is withdrawn so that even if the baby reaches out and touches the tube he or she will not be harmed.
(b) Many women now have the option of having earlier testing to determine whether their baby has Down syndrome. In chrionic villus sampling (CVS), some fragment of the placenta is removed for chromosomal analysis. The advantage of this test is that it can be done up to 5 weeks earlier than amniocentesis.
How Accurate, Reliable, and Safe Is The Test?
Amniocentesis does carry some risks for the pregnancy. The risk is around 0.25 to 0.5 percent, i.e. 1 in 200 to 1 in 400 women will miscarry after an amnio). The chances of miscarriage are higher if there are problems during the procedure itself. If there are no obvious problems, the chances of losing the baby as a result of the procedure are very low.
Amniocentesis is associated with a risk of miscarriage as well as an even smaller risk (minimized with ultrasound guidance) that the needle may puncture the fetus. Other complications, though rare, can include cramping, vaginal bleeding, and the leaking of amniotic fluid. Thus, amniocentesis is normally offered only to women whose risk of having a genetically abnormal fetus is greater than 1 in 200. All women over the age of 35 run such a risk, as do women who know that they and their partner are carriers for genetic defects such as sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, one of the thalassemias, or cystic fibrosis, or who have family members with a history of genetic disease. Amniocentesis is not necessary if only one member of a couple is a carrier.
Amniocentesis, even when performed as early as 10 weeks, is very reliable at detecting conditions such as Down syndrome which result from chromosomal abnormalities, but other malformations can occur during fetal development owing to non genetic causes, and these would not be picked up by amniocentesis.
Some women are so determined to have their baby, regardless of problems, they feel having the test is an unnecessary risk.
Topics: All Posts, Health, Woman's Health | No Comments »
