LATE TERMINATIONS OF PREGNANCY FOLLOWING 2ND TRIMESTER AMNIOCENTESIS

  • 1 April 1986
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 93  (4) , 343-347
Abstract
We sought information from 34 chromosome laboratories in Britain about the frequency during 1982 of late amniocentesis, late reports of prenatal diagnosis results and late resultant terminations of pregnancy. Thirty-one laboratories provided data on a total of 20,840 pregnancies. Gestational age at report was recorded in 14,795 and 510 subsequent terminations of pregnancy were recorded. The data were subdivided into three categories according to the primary indication for amniocentesis: (i) the detection of chromosomal abnormalities, (ii) risk of neural-tube defect, (iii) ''other'' reasons. Overall 4.0% of diagnostic amniocenteses were performed at .gtoreq. 21 weeks, 12.7% of reports were made at .gtoreq. 22 weeks gestation, and 13.1% of terminations were performed at .gtoreq. 22 weeks. Later amniocentesis (.gtoreq. 21 weeks) occurred nearly five times more often when the primary indication was the detection of neural tube defects than when it was the detection of chromosomal abnormalities. Approximately two-thirds of ''late'' terminations were performed after amniocentesis at .gtoreq. 19 weeks gestation. A total of 3896 (26.3%) of women undergoing prenatal diagnosis had to wait until .gtoreq. 21 weeks gestation before a report was available.