Amniocentesis: procedures, safety, risks, etc. • hello healthy

Definition

What is amniocentesis?

Amniocentesis is a prenatal procedure that your doctor may recommend you perform during pregnancy. This test checks for fetal abnormalities (birth defects) such as Down's syndrome, cystic fibrosis or spina bifida in your fetus. In most cases, the results are normal. Amniocentesis is only performed on women who are considered to have a higher risk of having a child with birth defects. Talk to your doctor or obstetrician about the right amniocentesis for you. Amniocentesis is performed between weeks 16 and 20. During this time, the baby is in about 130ml of amniotic fluid, which he constantly swallows and excretes. This fluid will be checked for information about the baby (including gender) and to detect physical disorders such as Down syndrome or spina bifida. From amniotic fluid samples, DNA can also be tested to identify various genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and fragile X syndrome.

When do I need to undergo amniocentesis?

As women age, the risk of having a child with Down syndrome begins to increase significantly, from about one in 2,000 (at age 20) to one in 100 (at 40 years of age). Pregnant women who may be advised to undergo an amniocentesis test are: women over the age of 40 (women aged 37 years and over have usually been offered this test) women with a history of chromosomal abnormalities in their family, for example Down syndrome women who have had children with chromosomal abnormalities in women who known carriers of genetic disorders of women whose partners have a family history of genetic disorders or female chromosomal abnormalities whose blood "serum screen" or ultrasound examination results are abnormal.

If your doctor has recommended amniocentesis, the procedure is usually scheduled between the 15th and 18th weeks of pregnancy.

Precautions & warnings

What should I know before undergoing amniocentesis?

There is a small risk that amniocentesis can cause a miscarriage (less than 1%, or about 1 in 200 to 1 in 400). Injury to the baby or mother, infection, and preterm delivery are other potential complications that can occur, but are very rare. Chorionic villus sampling is a procedure that involves removing small pieces of the placenta and can be done between 11 and 13 weeks. Detailed scans as well as blood tests are possible but these tests can only show that your baby has a problem, without specifying the problem. It is important that you know the warnings and precautions before performing this operation. If you have any questions, consult your doctor for further information and instructions.

Process

What should I do before amniocentesis?

You will receive genetic testing prior to the procedure. Once the risks and benefits of amniocentesis have been completely explained to you, you can choose whether or not you want to undergo the procedure.

How is the amniocentesis process?

The steps involved in amniocentesis:

The patient lies in a lying position, then the doctor determines the position of the fetus and placenta through an ultrasound scan. When the doctor has found a safe location for the injection, the doctor will clean the patient's stomach with an antiseptic and inject a local anesthetic into the skin using a long, thin needle, the doctor takes about 15 to 20ml (about three teaspoons) of the amniotic fluid. It takes about 30 seconds for the fetus to be checked after that to make sure everything is fine. The doctor will tell you when the results are as expected. In some cases, results may take up to three weeks.

What should I do after amniocentesis?

You may have to wait for surgery for about 20 minutes after surgery before returning home. Most women mention that amniocentesis is painless, but are advised to continue resting for an hour or more after that. If you have questions related to this test process, please consult your doctor for a better understanding.