title: Pregnancy outcome after third trimester amniocentesis: a single center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pregnancy outcome following late amniocentesis (>24 weeks of gestation).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort of all women with singleton pregnancy that underwent late amniocentesis in one tertiary center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregnancy outcome was validated in 168 women who underwent late amniocentesis. Overall, for the all study group the mean gestational age for amniocentesis was 31.6 ± 2.3 weeks and the mean gestational age at delivery was 38.1 ± 2. Indications for late amniocentesis included abnormal ultrasonographic findings (n = 120), suspected intrauterine infection (n = 23), advanced maternal age (n = 13), abnormal first or second trimester biochemical markers (n = 8) and others. The overall rate of spontaneous preterm delivery (<37 weeks) was 8% (13/168) with mean gestational age at delivery of 34.7 ± 1.3. In only five cases (3%), delivery occurred ≤ 34 weeks of gestation. In one case (0.60%) of amniocentesis performed at 32 weeks of gestation, delivery occurred within 48 hours and in other four cases (2.40%) delivery occurred within 10 days. When amniocentesis was performed due to ultrasonographic findings to rule out chromosomal abnormalities (n = 117/182), abnormal karyotype was found only in three cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of significant prematurity following late amniocentesis is low. This information is important when counseling patients considering performing one.
authors.forename: Rinat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gabbay-Benziv
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Division, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Rinat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gabbay
authors.forename: Yariv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yogev
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Melamed
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben-Haroush
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meizner
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pardo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D054928:Validation Studies as Topic; D055815:Young Adult