Do you think your pregnancy is high risk? Amniocentesis is a procedure that allows your pregnancy to be tested for certain kinds of birth defects. Amniocentesis is the withdrawal of a small amount of amniotic fluid from the uterus. The procedure is done right in our office and usually at about 16 weeks of pregnancy.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advocate that all women, regardless of age consider the option of amniocentesis for the diagnosis of chromosome abnormalities. In the past, only older women were offered amniocentesis because of the risk for the most common chromosome abnormalities was only known to increase with maternal age. However, now there are non-invasive screening tests that performed on a sample of a woman's blood that can more accurately identify her specific risk for these common abnormalities. If the screening test shows at an increased risk, therefore an amniocentesis can be offered. Understanding your testing options will help you prepare for the future.
Amniocentesis has been performed on hundreds of thousands of pregnancies, it is now considered a routine procedure but it does include the risk of miscarriage. Some miscarriages would happen anyway, but a few are caused by the procedure. The risk for miscarriage is 1 in 300 to 1 in 500. The risks are rare and few when compared to the benefits of the procedure.
South Florida Perinatal Medicine is committed to providing the highest standards of healthcare to pregnant women and their unborn child in the Miami, Miami Beach, and Coral Springs area.
Request an appointment for amniocentesis. South Florida Perinatal Medicine has many locations to serve you.
The dedicated perinatologists at South Florida Perinatal Medicine truly care about patients. We understand that each pregnancy is unique and provide personalized attention to meet your individual needs.
We have multiple locations in the Miami, Miami Beach and Coral Springs area to make it more convenient for you. Reliable, quality healthcare and compassion are the hallmarks of all our doctors and staff.
After the sample is taken, another ultrasound check is conducted. It is important to note that neither Chorionic villus sampling nor amniocentesis is able to test for birth defects that do not have a known cause. A few examples are autism, cleft lip, non-specific mental retardation and most heart defects. If you are not sure whether you should have amniocentesis, please discuss it with your doctor, a genetic counselor or other specialists in the field of genetics. Call South Florida Perinatal Medicine to make an appointment for amniocentesis at one of our nearest locations. Existing patients may visit the Patient Portal to schedule a follow-up procedure, view test results, etc. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest information about amniocentesis.
