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Technology
Starting at the 15th week of pregnancy a very thin
needle is inserted through the abdominal wall into the amniotic
sac. The amniotic puncture is carried out at a specialized
prenatal center (Pränatalzentrum) and is supervised
by ultrasound so that the child is not
injured. It is not painful and takes only a few
minutes.
After
the operation you should rest for
some days.
1-2 days after the amniotic puncture,an ultrasonic check-up is
performed to avoid complications.
Cell examination
10 to 15 ml of amniotic fluid is drawn off. This will
be replaced automatically within a short time.
The
amniotic
fluid contains skin cells of the child; these cells are grown
in cell cultures and eventually tested
with respect to number and structure of the
chromosomes.
Risks
Although an inadvertent injury of the unborn child is unlikely
due to ultrasonic monitoring,
complications
like infections, bleedings and total loss of amniotic fluid
resulting in miscarriage and death of the child are possible, though rare (approx.
0,5%.).
Useful Links:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003921.htm
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