1978 Safety of amniocentesis

Amniocentesis is a procedure used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities, fetal infections, and for sex determination, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is taken from the amniotic sac by insertion of a needle guided by ultrasonography.

Amniocentesis was introduced in the early 1970s and samples were taken during the second trimester (for genetic disease and therapeutic abortion), or the third trimester (for diagnosis). Concerns about the safety of the procedure, especially during the early stages of pregnancy, resulted in follow-up studies being conducted in several countries, though only those in USA and UK were controlled.

A Working Party on Amniocentesis was set up by Medical Research Council in 1977 to review the hazards and included Dr Helen Bantock, a clinician in the Unit, as Secretary and Dr Ian Sutherland, the Director. They concluded that the evidence of increased infant mortality as a consequence of amniocentesis was conflicting, that ultrasonography should be used to improve the success rate in obtaining fluid, and that further research was required.

Today, it is recognised that amniocentesis does carry a risk of miscarriage and consequently is offered only if there’s a high chance that a baby has a chromosomal or genetic abnormality.

References

1. Report to the Medical Research Council by their Working Party on Amniocentesis (Bantock H, Sutherland I). An assessment of the hazards of amniocentesis. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 1978; 85 (supplement 2): 1 – 41.
2. Simpson NE, Turnbull AC, Alexander D, Bantock H, Czerski P, Doran A, Kaback M, Liedgren S, Murken JD, Ogita S, Seigal D, Sutherland I. Genetic amniocentesis. Prenatal Diagnosis 1981; 1: 5-10.
3. Report to the Medical Research Council by their Working Party on Amniocentesis (Bantock H, Sutherland I). An assessment of the hazards of amniocentesis. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 1978; 85 (supplement 2): 1 – 41.