When my friend’s daughter underwent the amniocentesis test, the results turned out normal. While her unborn child’s (a girl) chromosomal make-up does appear normal, amniocentesis does not necessarily rule out all possible birth defects as many people are wont to believe. The amniocentesis test is regarded as being ninety-nine percent accurate. It isn’t routine; however, it is recommended for all women over the age of thirty-six to ensure that the chromosomal composition of the fetus does not show any irregularity.
The amniocentesis test, which is usually done between the fourteenth and eighteenth week of pregnancy, is performed under a local anesthetic, with the use of an ultrasound scanner, to determine the site of a safe pocket of fluid. In this test, which takes about fifteen minutes to carry out, a long, ultrathin needle is inserted into the mother’s abdomen, through the wall of the uterus, and on into the amniotic sac – the purpose of which is to take out a specimen of amniotic fluid. Because it is in the amniotic fluid where the cells and secretions of an unborn child are found, the fluid can therefore provide sufficient information about the baby.
The amniocentesis test, which, again, is almost a hundred percent accurate, allows a physician to determine the presence or existence of chromosomal irregularities, certain congenital metabolic abnormalities, and spinal cord disorders. And, yes, the test can likewise detect the unborn child’s sex (as in the case of my friend’s daughter, who’s very happy with the baby-girl revelation). Down’s syndrome – a disease known to cause mental retardation – for example, can be detected by amniocentesis. Other conditions which the test can detect include certain genetic abnormalities in the fetus that can interfere with the development of the brain or spinal cord of the unborn child. Examples of these disorders are any neural-tube deficiencies and an absent enzyme.
The condition of an unborn child afflicted with a certain type of blood disorder, called RH disease, can be monitored with the use of amniocentesis. With the test, treatments for this disease may be started even while the baby is still in the womb. In the event an early delivery is necessary, amniocentesis can also be performed late in a pregnancy for the purpose of gauging the development of the lungs of the unborn child.
A small element of risk to the mother may be involved in amniocentesis. Risks include the possibilities of vaginal bleeding, an increased risk of infection, cramping, leaking of amniotic fluid, or even miscarriage. The good thing is that the occurrences of such problems, in relation with the use of the amniocentesis test, have been very rare since the inception of this test (records on the exact year amniocentesis was first introduced as a medical procedure vary). The risks are even less likely to take place if the test is performed by a highly-experienced physician.
