Question

In the context of amniocentesis, which of the following statements is incorrect?
A. It is usually done when a woman is between 14 – 16 weeks pregnant.
B. It is used for prenatal sex determination.
C. It can be used for detection of Down syndrome.
D. It can be used for detection of Cleft palate.

Answer 1

Amniocentesis is a surgical technique mainly used for prenatal diagnoses and determination of chromosome defects and sex determination as well as fetal infection.

Complete Answer:
- The amniocentesis is a technique which is used for the examination or the treatment to clear amniotic fluid from the uterus. The fluid that covers and protects a baby during pregnancy is amniotic fluid. It contains fetal cells and different proteins.
- Amniocentesis is a surgical technique mainly used for prenatal diagnoses and determination of chromosome defects and sex determination as well as fetal infection. At the process, the amniotic sac circles the developing foetus is sampled with a small amount of amniotic fluid, which includes fetal tissues. Genetic anomalies would then be investigated in fetal DNA.
- The most prevalent cause of an amniocentesis is that a fetus has such developmental defects or chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome. Amniocentesis may be able to detect these womb complications. This pregnancy testing will allow expectant guardians to determine their fetal wellbeing and viability. These assessments are useful.
- An amniocentesis occurs when a woman is 15 to 20 weeks pregnant. Women with this procedure are mainly vulnerable to genetic and chromosome issues as the procedure is invasive and carries a low risk of error. This method can be used to discern prenatal sex, and so in some countries this method has legal limits.
- In most cases, cleft lip alone or cleft lip and palate are detected in a pregnancy by a prenatal ultrasound at the earliest 16 weeks. A thorough visual inspection and physical examination then confirms the diagnosis at birth.

Thus, the correct answer is option D. i.e., It can be used for detection of Cleft palate.

Note: Cleft palate will happen on its own, without the cleft lip. This form of cleft is not allowed to occur in ultrasounds and can first be identified at birth. A clinician would then undergo a thorough review to assess the specific nature of the issue and whether the cleft only includes the hard and soft palate or the soft palate only.