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Re: Risks vs. Benefits of Amniocentesis

From: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 4 Apr 2000 21:31:18 -0500 (CDT)

At Tue, 4 Apr 2000, anonymous wrote: >
>I was very disheartened to read an earlier post from a woman who
>suffered a miscarriage shortly after amnio (at 16 weeks). After seeing
>my doctor yesterday, I agreed to have an amnio done in three weeks (I'll
>be turning 35 in the last trimester of my pregnancy). Now I am
>wondering if I should change my mind and not do the amnio.
>
>My doctor seemed to indicate that there was only about a 1% chance of
>complications resulting from the amnio. However, I am beginning to read
>of more and more cases where something has gone wrong, including the
>recent post from the woman who lost her baby at 16 weeks.

The actual risk is 1 in 300 or 0.3%, not 1% (range of studies 1 oin 200 to 1 in 400)

>My doctor is not going to be doing the amnio, instead he plans to send
>me to a perinatologist who is apparently quite experienced in amnios and
>does these every day. I am not sure if that significantly improves the
>odds or not.

It may.

>Also, can someone tell me the benefits of amnio besides identifying
>chromosomal problems and neurospinal problems. Does it help to identify
>any other curable/noncurable fetal conditions?

Only if they're chromosomal or if it is known in the family and it can be checked for specifically.

>I am beginning to think
>that perhaps the risks outweigh the benefits of this procedure and I
>should cancel my amnio and just go with the AFP.

The AFP triple test will miss about 33% of Down's syndrome and a Quad test will miss between 20 and 25%. While still int he first trimester, a nuchal translucency measurement plus blood tests can be done and the detection rate is 90%.

>Thanks.

--
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
Great Neck, New York


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