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Q

I am 38 years old and expecting my fourth child. I'm concerned about how my body will hold up during this pregnancy. I feel good, I'm just a little more tired than usual and more tired than in my other three pregnancies. 

My real concern is having the amniocentesis test. What are the actual chances of miscarrying the baby because of the test?

A

On average, the risk levels of infection, fetus damage or miscarriage as a result of taking an amniocentesis sample are quoted by various clinics as being roughly between 1 in 500 and 1 in 200. The numbers vary a lot.

For your peace of mind, I suggest that you talk to your doctor to try to visit the clinic where the test will take place so that you can pose your concerns to the staff and judge for yourself the answers that you get.

The first time my wife was pregnant, our OBGYN practitioner assured us that in all of his time in practice, he had never seen a problem caused by either amniocentesis or CVS, so he made a CVS available to us with no concerns. This however was in Argentina where there is a very high competence level in their best hospitals. During our second pregnancy, which was in France, they refused to even talk about any tests unless there was any abnormalities found in the "triple test" (multiple marker blood sample). There is a general consensus in France that the risks are too high to consider under normal conditions.

So, as you can see, everything is different depending on your location and the individual doctor that you see. You will need to consider all of the concerns that you have and discuss them with your partner and doctor together. Whatever your decision, be sure that you have fully considered all of the benefits as well as the risks.

See Also:

Genetic Testing in Pregnancy

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