What Are The Risks And Complications?

Millions of women have safely undergone amniocentesis. However, the procedure does carry some risks:

Miscarriage: The rate of miscarriage is estimated to be between one in 200 and one in 500.
Infection: The procedure carries a low risk of uterine infection (less than one in 1,000), which can cause labor. If such an infection occurs, it will happen within a few days of the procedure.
Maternal or fetal hemorrhaging.
Fetal injury: There is a very slight risk that the needle used during amniocentesis can hit a crucial fetal area and cause permanent damage.

Nice To Know:

Amniocentesis increases the risk of miscarriage by less than 1 percent over the baseline risk for miscarriage.

Back to Top of Page

Read much more about this topic:
What Is Amniocentesis? What Can It Tell? How Is It Done? Risks And Complications? Preparing For It Alternatives Common Questions Putting It All Together Glossary Sources Of Information






	If you have a medical question, visit our Discussion Forum

	Home All Our Topics Contact Us Site Map Back to Top of Page

Thanks for visiting our award winning site.

We strive to make every page helpful to every reader.

Let us know if we've succeeded or how we can improve your experience on our site even more.


	Copyright © 2002-2010 Health Information Publications. The information provided on this Web site has been developed exclusively by and for Health Information Publications and ehealthMD and may not be copied without written permission. The information provided is for general information only and is not intended to replace the advice of your health-care provider. This is original material developed by Health Information Publications, Copyright © 1990-2009

	Medical Illustrations Copyright ©Nucleus Medical Art 2004. All rights reserved.