What is an amniocentesis

An amniocentesis is a test that pregnant woman can elect to have done by their doctor. A small needle is inserted into the uterus to retrieve a sample of the amniotic fluid, the fluid that is around the fetus. Then is is test to see if ther…

http://answers.ask.com/Health/Reproductive/what_is_amniocentesis

An amniocentesis is a procedure used to obtain a small sample of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus to diagnose chromosomal disorders and open neural tube defects (ONTDs) such as spina bifida. Testing is available for other genetic…

http://www.musckids.com/health_library/hrpregnant/amnio.htm

･ An amniocentesis (am-nee-oh-sen-TEE-sis) is a procedure done to take a sample of the fluid around your … ･ If routine newborn screening has shown that your unborn child may have a genetic disease. If you already … ･ The procedure may …

http://www.ehealthconnection.com/regions/youngstown/content/healthinfo_carenotes.asp?src=nd0220g

Related Questions Answered on Y!Answers

What is having an amniocentesis test like?

Q: On Monday, I go to have an Amniocentesis test done on each of my babies, I’m pregnant with twins.What was the experience like for you?Did they numb your belly?What were you like after wards?I’m very nervous, but will do anything to help my babies.Any in site would be great, thank you!

A: hi there, i havent had one personally. but a close friend of mine did for her 2nd baby because the n.t scan came back inconclusive. She said the actual procedure did not hurt, they numb the area so you dont feel the needle. unfortunately for baby alysia the amnio caused early labour and she died at 26 mins old at 20 weeks.

What is being looked for when an amniocentesis test is done looking specifically for spina-bifida.?

Q: when an amniocentesis test is done ( I know how it’s done), what is being looked for in the amniotic fluid if looking for spina bifida.Include source’s (FROM UK WEBSITES) so I know you know what your talking about.Thankyou in advance x

A: Going through and finding UK specific websites is a bit silly, the information is going to be the same regardless of where it’s coming from.”In addition to examining the fetal cells for chromosome abnormalities, the amniotic fluid can be tested for levels of AFAFP, acetylcholinesterase (AChe), and hemoglobin F. It is possible to detect neural tube defects, including anencephaly, spina bifida, and meningomyelocele (though the use of amniocentesis to detect neural tube defects has been mostly superceded by a combination of the AFP test and high resolution detailed ultrasound).”http://stason.org/TULARC/child-parent/pregnancy-screening/2-What-can-amniocentesis-detect.html”Amniocentesis – If a blood test shows high levels of AFP in your blood and the ultrasound is normal, your doctor may offer an amniocentesis. During an amniocentesis, your doctor uses a needle to remove samples of fluid from the amniotic sac that surrounds the fetus. The analysis indicates the level of AFP present in the amniotic fluid. A small amount of AFP is normally found in amniotic fluid, however the amniotic fluid contains an elevated amount of AFP when an open neural tube defect is present because the skin surrounding the baby’s spine is gone and AFP leaks into the amniotic sac. A second test can be done on the same sample to confirm that a neural tube defect is present. However, an amniocentesis cannot indicate the severity of spina bifida. This test does have a risk to the developing fetus – about one in 200 to one in 500 pregnant women miscarries after an amniocentesis.”http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/spinal/spina-bifida/diagnosing-spina-bifida.phpEssentially to break it down, once a blood test has been done on a mother and she has higher levels of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein in her blood, the amnio is done to test the amount of alpha fetoprotein that is being produced in the amniotic fluid, high levels indicate that the area around the babies spine is open, and allowing the AFP to be leaked into the sac. The amnio itself can not tell you how severe the spina bifida may be, a follow up ultrasound will be performed where the doctor is mainly looking for abnormalities in the spine. After that a postnatal exam may be done to confirm it fully.

Has anyone had an amniocentesis to detect fetal lung development?

Q: I have an appointment monday, I will be exactly 36 weeks, to get an amniocentesis done to check the maturity of my babies lung development. I was wondering if anyone has done this and what were the results, were your babies lungs mature? Did you have any complications due to the amnio? I understand the process of the amnio I was just wanting some personal experiences, if you have any. Thanks!

A: I had an amniocentesis at 35 weeks to check fetal lung maturity. I had the test done on a Thursday and it showed her lungs were not yet mature. I then gave birth to her the following Tuesday and she had no respiratory problems. And I did not have any complications due to the amniocentesis.