Question

What is amniocentesis?

Answer 1

Amniocentesis is a type of prenatal test done in pregnant women. Prenatal tests include a variety of tests that are done prior to birth of the baby to detect abnormalities in the developing baby.

Complete answer:
- Amniocentesis involves taking out small amounts of fluid called amniotic fluid for testing. Amniotic fluid is a clear or slight yellow colored fluid contained in the amniotic sac present in the uterus. It surrounds and protects the developing baby or fetus. It contains fetal cells along with different proteins.
- Before amniocentesis, an ultrasound of the abdomen is done to visualize the amniotic sac, placenta and uterus.
- During amniocentesis, the abdomen is first thoroughly cleaned. Now a thin, long and hollow needle is inserted into the amniotic sac through the abdomen under the guidance of ultrasound. Anesthesia is generally not required as the process is not that painful and discomforting. A woman undergoing amniocentesis experiences stinging sensation when needle enters the abdomen and cramping sensation when needle enters the uterus.
- Once the needle enters the amniotic sac, the amniotic fluid is collected in the syringe. Only a small amount of amniotic fluid (about 30 ml) is collected during the process. The collected fluid is sent to the laboratory for testing.
- Amniocentesis is most commonly done to detect genetic or chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus such as Down’s syndrome.

Note: Amniocentesis is generally a safe procedure with mild discomfort or cramping, but it also has some risks and complications. It may cause complications like injury to fetus, infection, miscarriage or leakage of amniotic fluid from vagina. In rare cases, this leakage can continue for the rest of the pregnancy period.