Definition

• Amniocentesis is a technique of drawing amniotic fluid from the womb of a pregnant woman and testing it to find out the sex and disorders of the foetus.

Conditions that may need amniocentesis

• When mother is aged
• A previous case of pregnancy with birth defect
• Suggestive screening test results
• Family history of certain birth defect
• Sex determination

Process of amniocentesis

• In amniocentesis process, a hollow hypodermic needle is inserted through the abdominal and the uterine wall.
• About 20 ml of amniotic fluid is sucked out.
• Ultrasound is used for the guidance so that accidental damage to foetus and placenta are prevented.
• Risk of miscarriage is 0.5%.
• During this process local anesthesia is given.
• After the sample taken, the physician uses ultrasound to check that the foetal heartbeat is normal. The entire procedure takes just a few minutes.
• After the sample of amniotic fliud is removed, these cells are cultured in in-vitro medium for one to two weeks, and then tested for chromosomal abnormalities or various genetic birth defects.
• With the help of karyotypic analysis (genetic disorder) and biochemical analysis ( presence or absence of enzymes) test results are usually available with in 3 weeks.

Advantages

• To know the general health condition
• Sex determination
• Diagnosis of metabolic disorders
• Diagnosis of congenital diseases.

Disadvantages

• Miscarriage. Less than 2 in 200 women (less than 1 percent) have a miscarriage after an amniocentesis.
• Infection in the uterus.
• Cramping, spotting or leaking amniotic fluid. About 1 to 2 in 100 women (1 to 2 percent) have these problems.
• Passing infection to your baby. 

Misuse of amniocentesis

• Nowadays, this technique is unfortunately misused to know the sex of the fetus. It causes a high number of abortions of a normal female fetus.