Health Information

Test Description

By amnioscopy trying to obtain direct visualization of the amniotic fluid. It is done with a amnioscope which is inserted into the cervical canal has been previously dilated by 1.5 to 2.5 cm. This will get a view of the fluid without a sample of it for laboratory analysis.

Usefulness of the test

The amnioscopy is used to detect the presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid by observing its color. In many cases meconium staining of the fluid may indicate hypoxia and, therefore, suffering and even fetal death, but sometimes can be seen in normal pregnancies.

It is also sometimes used when the bag is broken, to take samples of blood through the scalp of the fetus. (more…)

Are there ways to reduce the risk of a baby having birth defects?

There are some basic things that every woman can do to increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby:

- Screening with your doctor before pregnancy.
- Get regular prenatal care from early pregnancy.
- Take a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid beginning before pregnancy and during the first months to prevent neural tube defects.
- Eat healthy foods, including foods containing folic acid and folate (the form of folic acid that is naturally present in food), such as fortified breakfast cereals, products made from fortified cereals, legumes, green leafy vegetables and orange juice. (more…)

How can a woman decide whether to perform an amniocentesis?

Parents should evaluate with the doctor whether or not an amniocentesis. Genetic counselors, physicians and religious and ethical guidelines can be valuable in helping parents to make a decision regarding prenatal diagnosis and other family planning issues.

Couples who have to choose between a chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis must consider many factors including the level of technical expertise available, the woman’s medical history, preferences, and the disorder diagnosed. (more…)

When amniocentesis produces normal results mean that the baby be healthy?

Most women who undergo amniocentesis receive confirmation that your baby does not have the disorders for which they were tested. However, no prenatal test can guarantee the birth of a healthy baby.

Can doctors treat the birth defects diagnosed by amniocentesis?

Doctors can treat a small number of birth defects diagnosed before birth by drugs, diet or surgery. (more…)

What happens to the liquid extracted?

Amniotic fluid and fetal skin cells that float in it are subjected to analysis. The cells are separated from the amniotic fluid and cultured in a laboratory for 10 to 12 days. Then, cells are analyzed for chromosomal abnormalities or genetic birth defects. In general, the results are obtained within two weeks.

You can also measure levels of a protein called alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in amniotic fluid to diagnose neural tube defects. AFP levels tend to increase when the baby has a neural tube defect. In general, the results of this test are available within a few days.

Do you have any risks of amniocentesis?

There are rare serious complications of amniocentesis in the second quarter. However, the procedure represents a small risk of spontaneous abortion. According to ACOG, fewer than one in 500 women to one in 300 has a spontaneous abortion after amniocentesis. A recent study suggests that the risk of spontaneous abortion may be just one in 1,600. Other complications such as uterine infections, are rare and occur in less than one in 1,000 cases. (more…)

When is amniocentesis?

Usually, amniocentesis is performed during the second trimester between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation. No longer recommended early amniocentesis (performed 11 to 14 weeks after the last menstrual period of women) because it carries a higher risk of spontaneous abortion and other complications compared with amniocentesis during the second quarter.

You can also perform an amniocentesis during the third quarter to diagnose uterine infections and to determine whether fetal lungs are mature enough for delivery (in cases where it is considered a premature birth).

The test also helps assess the severity of anemia in fetuses with Rh disease (an incompatibility between the blood types of mother and baby). This information helps doctors determine if a fetus with Rh incompatibility need a blood transfusion to stay alive. (more…)

Doctors do not indicate an amniocentesis routinely to all pregnant women because it carries a small risk of spontaneous abortion. Indicate an amniocentesis when there is an increased risk of chromosomal or genetic defects or malformations.

Doctors may indicate an amniocentesis taking into account the following factors:

- Age of the mother. The risk of having children with certain chromosomal birth defects increases with age for women. Traditionally, physicians recommend prenatal testing to detect chromosomal disorders if the woman will be 35 years or older at the time of delivery. (more…)

Amniocentesis is a common prenatal test that involves removing a small sample of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus for examination. It is used to diagnose or much more often rule out certain birth defects and genetic disorders.

Amniocentesis is the most common prenatal test used to diagnose chromosomal and genetic birth defects. There is another prenatal test called chorionic villus sampling, which can diagnose the majority of birth defects detected by amniocentesis. (more…)

Know the Symptoms of Ectopic Pregnancy – Ectopic pregnancy means pregnancy already invested in your body outside the normal place to grow a baby. The term ectopic literally means out of place. More than ninety percent of the pregnancies happened outside the womb in the fallopian tubes. This has spawned the term tubal pregnancies, when in fact they can grow anywhere. One sign that you may be experiencing a normal pregnancy is the period during pregnancy.

Eggs, which had been fertilized and implanted there, began to grow. Needless to say this is a very dangerous situation because the fallopian tubes or other areas of the body is not designed to support the baby and also unable to stretch as they need to stretch to make room for growing babies.

While eggs can grow in other places, most often choose fallopian tubes, but other areas that may be found in the ovary, stomach, cervix, or even outside the womb.

None of these areas have the means to grow a baby. When the egg implants in there and start to grow causing bleeding, possible broken areas as the oviduct, and will eventually run may lead to situations that will create the bleeding and put lives at risk mothers. The presence of your period during pregnancy may be one clue that all is not as they appear.

Noting the symptoms that may be present in the ectopic pregnancy is very important, especially if you’ve become a victim of previous ectopic pregnancy. Mothers over the age of 35 at the beginning of pregnancy previously had an ectopic pregnancy or pelvic inflammatory disease ever more vulnerable.

If you are in one high risk group it pays to pay attention to your body signals and to seek good medical advice if you have symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. If you have periods during pregnancy, shoulder pain, pain in the pelvic area or abdomen, dizziness, nausea or other symptoms does not mean that you had an ectopic pregnancy but it is certainly worth checking out.

Each time pain present throughout pregnancy, not just cramps, sore muscles and other parts of the pregnancy is normal, but pelvic pain or pain during intercourse; need to know why it happened. While some discomfort is common in pregnancy, deep pain during activity or movement is not a normal part of becoming pregnant and should be checked with your doctor.

Article By Tehmina Mazher

Know Your Risk Factors and Ectopic Pregnancy - Two main symptoms is vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain unilateral. This can vary in intensity, depending on how far the pregnancy has progressed. Ectopic pregnancy is very dangerous because it can lead to rupture the tube, along with severe bleeding. In extreme cases, intra-abdominal bleeding can be catastrophic and even fatal for the woman.

Ectopic pregnancy occurs at a rate of about one in 60 pregnancies. Certain risk factors have been found to increase the chances for an ectopic pregnancy. Risk factors are:

* History of severe pelvic infection
* Endometriosis
* Cigarette smoking
* Improve maternal age
* History of infertility
* before surgery on fallopian tubes
* Prior pelvic or abdominal surgery (scar tissue)
* Previous Ectopic Pregnancy

If your doctor suspects that you have an ectopic pregnancy, she will perform certain tests. Your doctor may perform a pelvic examination, check your blood pressure and pulse, perform an ultrasound, and take your blood to check your pregnancy hormone levels.

Diagnosis may not appear immediately. Sometimes it may take several days of observation and additional tests before the diagnosis are clear. The use of sophisticated technologies and accurate monitoring of hormonal ultrasound has now been possible to detect the majority of ectopic pregnancies when they were still in the very early stages.