Amniocentesis: risks and alternatives

• Whether or not to undergo amniocentesis is not an easy decision, especially considering that this diagnostic test involves a small risk of miscarriage.
• Prenatal tests are indicated for women who wish to rule out the most common chromosomal abnormalities.
• Amniocentesis is recommended when the risk test is positive, as well as when there is a history of children with chromosomal abnormalities or chromosomopathy-related malformation.

Amniocentesis is an invasive prenatal test performed in order to detect health problems and possible chromosomal diseases in the baby. This test involves removing a small sample of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the foetus inside the uterus.

The main reasons for recommending that a pregnant woman should undergo amniocentesis are:

• At-risk pregnancy, maternal age > 35 years.
• High-risk pregnancies, maternal age > 40 years.
• Previous pregnancies with chromosomal conditions or neural tube defect.
• Family history of a specific genetic disease, mother and/or father are conscious carriers of a genetic disease.
• Abnormal results in ultrasound scans.
• Positive results in non-invasive prenatal screening tests.

One of the options, before undergoing an invasive test, is to consider non-invasive prenatal tests to confirm the need to undergo an amniocentesis. You will find all the information about the different prenatal tests in the following sections.

Generally, amniocentesis is performed between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, when the aim is to detect genetic alterations, such as Down's syndrome. This test can also be performed between the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy. 

At this stage, it is performed in order to know the state of the foetus' lungs, in cases where the delivery is to be brought forward and it is necessary to ensure that the baby's lungs are already mature.

Amniocentesis is a diagnostic test of the amniotic fluid to detect birth defects or a genetic condition.

Although amniocentesis can provide valuable information about your baby's health, it is important to understand the risks of undergoing this test, consider alternative tests and be prepared for the results. 

Amniocentesis is a very safe procedure, but it does have some risks, including rupture of the placenta or the onset of contractions in the uterus.

During amniocentesis, there is usually a slight pain at the time of the puncture, as well as discomfort in the abdomen when the needle passes through the uterus.

Once the procedure is completed, you may experience side effects with amniocentesis, such as:

• Abdominal pain and/or irritation around the puncture.
• Needle stick injury. If the baby moves during the test, it is possible for the needle to puncture a spleen or leg. However, this type of injury is very rare.
• Bleeding or leakage of amniotic fluid. After the puncture it is possible that the amniotic fluid leaks through the vagina. However, the amount of fluid lost is very small and usually resolves within 7 days and the pregnancy continues as normal.
• Rh sensitisation. Amniocentesis may cause the baby's blood cells to enter the mother's bloodstream. Rh disease is a rare condition in which a mother's immune system produces antibodies against a specific protein on the surface of the baby's blood cells.

If you have Rh-negative blood and have not developed antibodies to Rh-positive blood, after amniocentesis you will be injected with a blood product called Rh immune globulin. This will prevent your body from producing Rh antibodies that can enter the placenta and damage your baby's red blood cells.

• Urinary tract infection. After amniocentesis, the risk of urinary tract infection is very low. However, it is important to be vigilant after the test and follow the specialist's instructions to avoid complications.

The risk of miscarriage by amniocentesis is the most prominent. This risk occurs in about 1 % of cases. It can be caused by infection or by damage to the amniotic sac when the needle passes through the uterus.

Amniocentesis before 15 weeks of pregnancy carries a much higher risk of miscarriage.

It is also possible that infections such as HIV, hepatitis C or toxoplasmosis can be transmitted from the mother to the foetus. For this reason, amniocentesis is contraindicated in cases of chronic infections of the mother.

Want to make sure if you need to undergo an amniocentesis? You can buy your voucher for any of our non-invasive prenatal tests by clicking on the image below:

If you have any questions about how to buy the test through Operarme or you need to clarify the different options available to you, please do not hesitate to contact our patient service department by filling in the contact form or by calling at +34 91 141 33 56.

Below, we explain all the details about each of the prenatal tests that you can find through Operarme, you will learn about the type of analysis of each test, as well as its particularities in the case of each pregnancy.

Non-invasive prenatal tests are screening tests. These tests help to find out if your baby is at high risk of having a genetic condition that affects his or her health.

In addition, this type of analysis can confirm the need for an invasive diagnostic test to determine the genetic condition or birth defect that specifically affects your child.

These prenatal tests pose no risk to you or your baby, as they only require a small sample of maternal blood, just like a routine blood test.

Non-invasive tests include the following:

Harmony Basic Prenatal Test

The Harmony Basic Non-Invasive Prenatal Test is indicated for pregnant women at least 10 weeks gestation, with a single or twin pregnancy, including pregnancies through egg donation (IVF).

This test evaluates the risk of trisomy 21, 18 and 13, i.e. Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome and Patau's syndrome, and anomalies in the X and Y chromosomes (Aneuploidies), as well as being able to determine foetal sex.

You will receive the complete results within 5-7 working days. Furthermore, it is not necessary to carry out the test on an empty stomach.

The results of screening tests can help you decide whether you want to have a diagnostic test.

Harmony Medium Prenatal Test

The Harmony Medium non-invasive prenatal test is a prenatal screening, which allows to know the health of the baby with only 10 weeks of pregnancy.

This test is indicated for mothers with a high risk of aneuploidy, whether due to a suspected aneuploidy in the ultrasound, a previous history of trisomy or another risk factor.

This test assesses the risk of trisomy 21, 18 and 13, i.e. Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome and Patau's syndrome, and abnormalities in the X and Y chromosomes (Aneuploidy), as well as being able to determine foetal sex (except in multiple pregnancies of only males).

Harmony Extended Prenatal Test

The non-invasive Harmony Extended Prenatal Test is a prenatal screening test, which will allow you to know the health of your baby at only 10 weeks of pregnancy.

This test evaluates the risk of trisomy 21, 18 and 13, anomalies in the X and Y chromosomes (Aneuploidies), and detects the probability of the 22q11.2 deletion known as DiGeorge syndrome. It is also able to determine foetal sex.

In the case of pregnancies with two foetuses or twins, only chromosomes 21, 18 and 13 will be analysed, i.e. sex aneuploidies will not be detected, nor will the 22q11.2 deletion be detected, and the foetal sex will be reported, as long as one of the babies is a boy, or both babies are girls.

The purpose of a non-invasive prenatal test and its results is to help both professionals and parents to decide whether or not it is necessary to carry out an invasive diagnostic test, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.

If you are thinking of having a non-invasive prenatal test after the recommendation of your specialist, as well as for self-determination given your medical history or state of health, you can do it safely and quickly through Operarme at Laboratorios Megalab. 

You can buy your non-invasive prenatal test voucher immediately and easily by filling in our contact form, calling at +34 91 141 33 56, or clicking on the following image: