Amniocentesis Procedure

Christine Le, an accountant living in Flushing, New York, gave birth to a healthy baby “Nathan” on January 29th, 2010. She found out that she was pregnant with her first child when her period was late. She had the routine prenatal care starting at 12 weeks and delivered at 40 weeks in a hospital with the present of her husband, Robert, and the in-laws. To insure her baby was healthy, Christine underwent several prenatal diagnostic methods like amniocentesis to examine for genetic defects. Another method was ultrasound; its purpose is to assess fetal age, multiple pregnancies, size and shape of the fetus. Christine underwent numerous lab tests to ensure that there are no complications (Berk, pg.43). Lab tests like a complete blood count that screens

i. Amniocentesis is one type of prenatal testing that can be used. The doctor takes a sample of amniotic fluid from the mother and tests the fluid for a mutation in FMR1.

Amniocentisis is the most common prenatal test performed today (Morris, 1993). While the test is not totally risk free, estimated fetal loss due to amniocentesis is less than 0.5 percent (O'Connor, 1989). This procedure involves the extraction of a small amount of fluid surrounding the developing fetus. Within this fluid are cells which contain the genetic information of the fetus. Upon analysis of this fluid, the determination of the sex as well as the location of genetic abnormality causing genes can be identified.

"Sometimes, the smallest things in life take up the most room in your heart" said A. A. Milne. Amniotic Band Syndrome is a congenital birth defect (17). Every family longs to have a beautiful, healthy baby. The rare and random defect's known cases occur in mothers with no abnormal prenatal history (17). The sad news is that mothers who do everything correctly still have a chance of having a pregnancy with ABS (17). Amniotic Band Syndrome is dangerous because it can cause physical complications, pregnancy challenges, and child mortality.

By dates, she is 20 5/7 weeks and the measurements are concordant. The amniotic fluid volume is normal, and the cervix is long and closed with no evidence of membrane funneling. A complete fetal anatomical survey was performed and no major malformations were noted at this time within the resolution of the ultrasound equipment.

Pre-Natal testing is also available, where cells are taken from the amniotic fluid between 15 and 20

This is best done with a sonogram. Some conditions, such as gestational diabetes, may make the baby grow too large and allow too much amniotic fluid to form in the uterus. Left unmonitored, this excess amniotic fluid may cause an early delivery. A large baby may make it necessary to have additional fetal monitoring to ensure baby is still doing well. Sonograms can also monitor a baby's movements, their "practice breathing" and ensure the placenta and cord are still normal.

Ultrasound of the baby in utero may appear normal, but clues may be indicated if intraabdominal cysts are found. The first physical examination of the baby after birth usually identifies IA. Even if IA is missed at the first physical examination, it is soon discovered within the first 24 hours due to the baby having abdominal distention or failing to pass meconium. These findings call for a more thorough examination to be

Foetal blood sampling is the last method and known as cordocentesis or percutaneous umbilical cord sampling (PUBS). This procedure is when a needle is being inserted into the umbilical cord and foetal blood is taken and evaluated for metabolism and hematologic abnormalities (blood disorders). The use of cordocentesis is decreasing since technology can now provide the same information from tests that have smaller risk of miscarriage, such as amniocentesis and CVS, with limitations of structural chromosomal abnormalities smaller than the achievable optical resolution to be undetected.

The results show that 1 tablet of Quick-eze is most effective in neutralizing the stomach because the number of moles of HCl reacted with the NaOH is 0.00216 moles (one tablet), which is less than Gaviscon. The number of moles of NaOH that were added from the burette is 0.00327 moles (one tablet of Gaviscon). However, the actual number of moles of calcium carbonate in a Gaviscon tablet is 0.0019 moles, but for Quick-eze, the number of moles is 0.0079 moles (actual amount of base in both tablets). This means that the number of moles added from the burette was more compared to the actual amount, which affects the accuracy of the results. However, these results are somewhat precise because of the minor difference between the experiment results

pregnancies with abnormalities.“This is a test done during pregnancy to get information about the fetus

1st trimester non-invasive genetic testing: Here at MWH all of our patients, regardless of age or risk factors, are offered cell-free fetal DNA testing during their initial prenatal visit (around 10 weeks). Cell-free DNA is the most advanced way to detect early fetal abnormalities through genetic material that is released by the placenta and into the maternal blood circulation. The results are very accurate, the test is non-invasive (blood draw for mom), and if you choose, you can also learn the sex of the baby by the end of the first trimester! Best yet, most insurance will cover the full cost of our

There are many types of tests that an expecting mother will have done to test for birth defects, diseases, and/ or conditions, that her unborn baby could have. There are diverse types of test done during each stage of pregnancy. In the first trimester, routine blood test is done by taking a blood sample from the expecting mother which is not harmful to a fetus. In the second trimester of pregnancy the physician will order lab tests for: Alph-fetoprotein (AFP), Unconjugated estriol (uEST), and Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), Analyte inhibin (Inh). Ultrasounds are another type of screening given to expecting mother, there are no found risks of a sonogram. A fetal echocardiogram is a more in-depth sonogram to see the structure of the fetus's

There are three ways that a mother can be tested during pregnancy to see if their child will have Down syndrome. One is amniocentesis, which is the removal and analysis of a small sample of fetal cells from the amniotic fluid. Amniocentesis can not be done until the 14-18th week of pregnancy and with this process there is a lower risk of miscarriage than with the other two processes. Another process is chorionic villus sampling (CVS), which is the extraction of a tiny amount of fetal tissue at 9 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. The tissue is then tested for the presence of extra material from chromosome 21. Chorionic villus sampling has a 1-2% chance of the mother having a miscarriage. The last process is percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS), which is the most accurate method used to confirm the results of CVS or amniocentesis. During PUBS the tissue is tested for the presence of extra material from chromosome 21. PUBS cannot be done until the 18-22nd week and it carries a high risk of the mother having a miscarriage.

The next technique routinely performed for prenatal diagnosis is amniocentesis. A long needle is inserted into the mother’s uterus to withdraw a sample of amniotic fluid containing cells shed by the fetus. The cells are cultured and analyzed for chromosome abnormalities. Despite the lengthy time in obtaining results because the cells need to be cultured, this method has become widely accepted as a safe and accurate way to determine genetic disorders.