On day 15 of gestation, intraamniotic vitamin A in a dose of 150 IU was administered to the fetal rats to examine its effect on palatal closure. Fetuses subjected to only amniocentesis acted as control for the study. The fetuses were recovered on day 19, 20 and 21, respectively. Vitamin A resulted in poor development of palatine shelves. There was no clear demarcation of the base and the free m...

Chromosome analysis of amniotic cell cultures was achieved in 29 out of 30 consecutive patients who were referred for genetic counselling during pregnancy. Amniocentesis was performed without any apparent untoward maternal or fetal complication. The only pregnancy terminated was that of a carrier of X-linked granulomatous disease, in whom the amniotic cells showed that the fetus was male and al...

OBJECTIVE To compare the abortion rate and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) after amniocentesis in women who have undergone antibiotic prophylaxis with uterine fibroids and control. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study using the Antibiotic Prophylaxis before Second-Trimester Genetic Amniocentesis trial database carried out between January 1999 and December 2005 at the Artemisia Feta...

The decision which prospective parents face concerning mid-trimester amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis was examined by decision analysis. The prospective parents' decision depends on the likelihood of the birth of a child affected by a genetic disorder, the risk of amniocentesis, and the probability that the diagnoses provided by the amniocentesis will be correct. The couple's decision must ...

Maternal septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) following amniocentesis is a relatively rare condition, and its incidence is only 0.03 approximately 0.19%. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) associated with DIC is also rare. We report here on a 40-year-old female patient who had septic shock and DIC that was complicated by AMI following amniocentesis. The possible mechanis...