Early amniocentesis: effect of removing a reduced volume of amniotic fluid on pregnancy outcome

• Published in: Prenatal diagnosis 1998-08, Vol.18 (8), p.773-778
• Main Authors: Tharmaratnam, S., Sadek, S., Steele, E. K., Harper, M. A., Stewart, F. J., Nevin, J., Nevin, N. C., Dornan, J. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion, Spontaneous - epidemiology; Abortion, Spontaneous - etiology; Adult; Amniocentesis - adverse effects; Amniotic Fluid; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosome Aberrations; Congenital Abnormalities - epidemiology; Congenital Abnormalities - etiology; culture failure; early amniocentesis; Female; Fetal Organ Maturity; Gestational Age; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Infant, Newborn; liquor volume; Lung - embryology; Management. Prenatal diagnosis; Medical sciences; miscarriages; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta
• ISSN: 0197-3851; 1097-0223
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0223(199808)18:8<773::AID-PD350>3.0.CO;2-W

In mid‐trimester amniocentesis (MTA), 12–15 ml of amniotic fluid is aspirated for cytogenetic analysis. When a similar volume of amniotic fluid is removed by early amniocentesis (EA), it represents a significant proportion of the total amniotic fluid volume in the first trimester. The fluid depletion, which may persist for 7 to 10 days, is considered to impair development of fetal lungs and extremities and, possibly, contribute towards procedure‐related congenital abnormalities and miscarriages. By only removing 7 ml of amniotic fluid, we have demonstrated a total miscarriage rate (3·8 per cent) comparable with previous large studies (Table V), a low incidence of respiratory difficulties at birth (2·7 per cent) and a low incidence of fixed flexion deformities (1·6 per cent), at the expense of a small increase in the incidence of culture failure (2·2 per cent). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.