A Study on Genetic Amniocentesis in Pregnant Women

Im, M H; Park, J H; Lim, Y G; Song, E S; Koh, S K; Lee, B I; Jung, J K

Abstract

Amniocentesis was first performed for genetic studies in the 1950s. Serr and colleagues, and Fuchs and Riis were the first to report the use of amniocentesis for antenatal sex determination. From the 1970s, genetic amniocentesis became one of the most useful techniques of the prenatal detection of genetic disorders. Because the application of population-based maternal serum screening to prenatal diagnosis is now widespread, we can estimate the trend change of amniocentesis indications. So this study was carried out from May 1996 to April 1997 on 74 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis in an university hospital in order to analyse the indications, age distribution, gestational age at the time of amniocentesis, frequency of needle insertions, color of amniotic fluid, outcome of pregnancy, and result of chromosome analysis. The results obtained are summarized as followings. 1. The most common indication for amniocentesis was abnormal maternal serum marker. 2. Two earl amniocenteses were performed. 3. 55 cases were single needle insertion and 6 cases were 3 or more needle insertions. 4. 11 discolored fluids[9 bloody, 2 brownish] were obtained during genetic amniocentesis of 74 patients. 5. Chromosomal abnormality was detected in one case of the 74 total cases.