Amniocentesis test can check the risk of Down syndrome, who needs to be?

An amniocentesis test is an examination of amniotic fluid that is performed to detect chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders in babies. Not all pregnant women are obliged to undergo it, because the amniocentesis test is more intended for those who have high-risk pregnancies. How is this test done, and what are the benefits and risks? Find out the answer here.

What is an amniocentesis test?

Amniocentesis procedure (source: Mayo Clinic)

An amniocentesis test is done by taking a sample of amniotic fluid through a needle that is injected into the mother's stomach. In the process, the doctor will place the needle in the right position with the help of an ultrasound to avoid the wrong injection of the placenta.

Amniotic fluid is the water that surrounds the baby in the womb. This fluid contains the baby's dead skin cells, a protein called alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), various kinds of electrolytes from the mother (such as sodium and potassium), to the baby's urine.

The amniotic fluid that has been taken is then taken to the laboratory for further investigation. Damage to the amniotic fluid or the presence of certain foreign particles in your amniotic sample can indicate a serious health condition.

Who should undergo an amniocentesis test?

Not all pregnant women need this test. The amniocentesis test is specifically intended for pregnant women aged 35 years and over who are at high risk of genetic disorders and / or chromosomal problems that cause birth defects such as spina bifida, Down syndrome, and anencephaly.

In addition, if the doctor finds things that are abnormal on your routine ultrasound results but is not clear about the exact cause, then the doctor will most likely recommend that you undergo amniocentesis.

The amniocentesis test can begin at 11 weeks of gestation. However, for genetic testing, amniocentesis can only be performed in pregnancies that are 15 to 17 weeks old, and in the third trimester of pregnancy when the fetal lungs are mature to detect infection in the amniotic fluid.

What are the benefits of an amniocentesis test?

The amniocentesis test is an examination of the amniotic fluid which aims to detect the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders in the baby. Amniocentesis can also be a way to treat excess amniotic fluid which is known as polyhydramnios.

In addition, this one pregnancy check can be used to check whether the baby's lungs are fully developed and fully formed before birth. Lung examination via amniocentesis is usually performed in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Sometimes, amniocentesis is used to see if the baby in the womb has an infection or not. This procedure is also performed to find out the severity of anemia in babies who are Rh sensitized or when the mother's immune system produces antibodies to fight the baby's Rh + red blood cells.

Amniocentesis can detect several diseases that are inherited in the unborn child, when the parent (either one or both) has risk factors for Down syndrome, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy.

Some of the risks that may occur from the amniocentesis test

Although it is classified as useful for detecting various problems that may occur in a baby in the womb, this test also has several possible risks, such as:

1. The amniotic fluid is leaking

Premature leakage of the membranes is a rare risk. Even so, the fluid that comes out is usually only a little and will stop on its own within one week.

2. Infection

In rare cases, amniocentesis can lead to uterine infection. In addition, the amniocentesis test can pass the infections you have to your baby such as hepatitis C, toxoplasmosis, and HIV / AIDS.

3. Needle injury to the baby's body

The baby can keep moving while you are undergoing this test. So, it is not impossible if the arms, legs, or other parts of the baby's body approach the needle that is being stuck and eventually get scratched

This can result in injury to the affected part of the body, but usually only minor injuries that do not harm the baby.

4. Rh Sensitization

Quite rarely this test can cause the baby's blood cells to leak into the mother's bloodstream. This is possible when mother and baby have rhesus differences.

If the mother is rhesus negative while the baby is rhesus positive and the mother's body does not have antibodies to rhesus positive blood, the doctor will inject rhesus immune globulin after the test is done. This is done to prevent the mother's body from producing Rh antibodies that can enter through the placenta and damage the baby's red blood cells.

5. Miscarriage

An amniocentesis test done in the second trimester is at risk of causing a miscarriage. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, research shows evidence that the risk of miscarriage increases if the test is done before 15 weeks of pregnancy.