title: Early amniocentesis: experience of 222 consecutive patients, 1987-1988.
abstract: Early amniocentesis from 9 to 14 weeks' gestation provides a safe and accurate method of prenatal diagnosis of cytogenetic and biochemical disorders. There was a 100 per cent success rate in culturing the amniotic cells from 222 samples obtained between 9 and 14 weeks' gestation. Follow-up of the patients to delivery revealed an abortion rate of 1.4 per cent. Among the 207 live- and stillborn infants, only one had a congenital abnormality (bilateral talipes equino-varus) and no infant had respiratory distress syndrome or pneumonia. Eleven pregnancies were terminated following the detection of a chromosomal, biochemical, or congenital abnormality (5.0 per cent). However, before the procedure of early amniocentesis becomes routine clinical practice, it requires appraisal by a randomized clinical trial.
authors.affiliation: Regional Prenatal Diagnostic Laboratory, Belfast City Hospital, Northern Ireland, U.K.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nevin
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nevin
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dornan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis