Amniocentesis Or No? My Struggle
Depending on your age and other risk factors, you may have been offered an amniocentesis at some point during a pregnancy. Unfortunately for me, this happened in my most recent two pregnancies. After my first amnio, I never wanted to experience that again, and yet I did just last week . . . but more on that later.
It is used to rule out the possibility of genetic abnormalities, such as trisomy (three copies) of chromosomes 13, 18, and 21 (Down Syndrome).
The typical amnio story involves a mom-to-be, typically over the age of 35, who is offered an amnio to rule out the possibility of Down Syndrome. The risk of Down Syndrome increases with increasing maternal age, especially after the age of 30, when most of us are having our babies. There are also many women who have a positive screening test known as the Integrated Prenatal Screen (IPS), which combines blood work and the second trimester anatomic ultrasound. It is used to rule out the possibility of genetic abnormalities, such as trisomy (three copies) of chromosomes 13, 18, and 21 (Down Syndrome). This was my story with both Ryan and son-to-be (named ‘Critter’ by my oldest).
Every Parent Needs to Know .. Read the Full Article on My Struggle with Amniocentesis here.
Dina is a wife, mother of 4, and adrenaline junky. She loves to share children’s health information from her professional and personal experience. More About Dr Dina.
