Amniocentesis is a prenatal diagnostic test carried out mainly between 14th to 18th week of pregnancy.
Amniocentesis
Amniotic fluid is taken from the uterus, sent to a diagnostic laboratory and embryonic cells isolated from the amniotic fluid.
No anaesthetic is required, and a result is usually obtained in about three to four weeks. When the test is carried out by an obstetrician experienced in the technique, the risk of a miscarriage related to the test is about 1 %. (Modified from: Checking your baby's health before birth. State Health Publication Number (PA) 94-090)
See also notes on Ultrasound.
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Yong PJ, Langlois S, Dadelszen PV, Robinson W. The association between preeclampsia and placental trisomy 16 mosaicism. Prenat Diagn. 2006 Jul 28
"As it is impossible to predict which subset of cases is at highest risk, all women receiving a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 16 mosaicism should be closely monitored for signs of preeclampsia."
Evans MI, Wapner RJ. Invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures 2005. Semin Perinatol. 2005 Aug;29(4):215-8.
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A Chochrane review (2003) comparing prenatal diagnosis showed that early amniocentesis is not a safe as mid-trimester amniocentesis or Chorionic Villus Sampling, because of increased pregnancy loss and the increased risk of Talipes equinovarus.
Alfirevic Z, Sundberg K, Brighams. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling for prenatal diagnosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(3):CD003252.
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Reviews
Evans MI, Wapner RJ. Invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures 2005. Semin Perinatol. 2005 Aug;29(4):215-8.
Ball RH. Invasive fetal testing. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Apr;16(2):159-62.
Alfirevic Z, Sundberg K, Brighams. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling for prenatal diagnosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(3):CD003252.
Articles
Search NCBI Bookshelf: Amniocentesis
Search PubMed: Search May 2006 "Amniocentesis" 8,585 reference articles of which 714 were reviews.
Search term = Amniocentesis
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How do I find out if everything is OK with my developing baby and what are the tests that doctors carry out?
Prenatal diagnosis is based the various types of tests that can be carried out to inform parents and clinicians. With the rising age of mothers in Australia and new knowledge about family genetic history these tools are useful in helping clinicians check the developing fetus. Note that some tests, like ultrasound, are relatively non-invasive, informative, and carried out in many suburban clinics.
This page has 2 main resources:
The first is a NSW Pamphlet "Checking your baby's health before birth." There is a similar online resource available from South Australia.
The second resource covers diagnosis after birth, this is a 1988 NHMRC Recommendation and is a guide to indicators in the neonate.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.