The Ban on Amniocentesis

Introduction

A prenatal test called amniocentesis (or amnio) involves taking amniotic fluid from around the baby in the uterus (womb). It can be used to diagnose certain health conditions your baby might have. Prenatal testing is a medical test done during pregnancy.

Analysing the yolk sac of a foetus is called amniocentesis. As a result, you will know for sure if your baby has any health conditions. The test is different from one that tells whether your baby is more likely than others to suffer from a certain disease. In case of abnormal screening test results, you may want to have a diagnostic test called amniocentesis to detect (find out) if your baby has a condition. Almost always, an amniocentesis is accurate.

Risks Associated with Amniocentesis 

Amniocentesis rarely results in serious complications. For most women, the procedure is only mildly uncomfortable. A stinging sensation may accompany the needle entering your skin, cramps may accompany the needle entering your uterus, and pressure may accompany the fluid removal. It is suggested that for the next day or two, not exercise or have sex after the test.

The following complications may also occur in women with amniocentesis:

• Having a miscarriage. A miscarriage occurs in fewer than one percent (less than one in 200) of women who undergo an amniocentesis
• Symptoms of uterine infection
• Amniotic fluid leaking, spotting, or cramping. Women with these problems make up 1 to 2 percent of the population
• Infecting your newborn. During pregnancy, you may pass an infection to your babies, such as HIV or toxoplasmosis. AIDS originates from HIV. You can contract Toxoplasmosis by eating undercooked meat or by touching cat poop
• Rh problems. Some of your baby’s blood may mix with yours due to amnio. After amnio, if you are Rh-negative and your baby is Rh-positive, you will receive a shot called Rh immunoglobulin to help protect your baby

Major symptoms that are observed after amniocentesis

• You may notice a change in your baby’s movement
• Your vaginal fluid is leaking or bleeding
• Having a fever
• The area where your provider inserted the needle is red and swollen 
• Strong stomach cramps that last for more than a few hours

Uses of Amniocentesis

There are several reasons why amniocentesis may be performed:

• Genetic testing:- Amniocentesis for genetic conditions involves taking a sample of amniotic fluid and analysing it for certain conditions, such as Down syndrome
• Fetal lung testing:- It involves taking a sample of amniotic fluid and testing it to find out if a baby’s lungs are mature enough to be born
• The diagnosis of fetal infection:-It can also be used to determine how high the baby’s anaemia is if he or she has been sensitized to Rh (A condition caused by an immune response to a protein in the baby’s blood cells produced by the mother’s body). Amniocentesis is sometimes used to monitor a baby for infection or illness
• Treatment:- A procedure called amniocentesis may be used to drain excess amniotic fluid when you accumulate too much during pregnancy (polyhydramnios)
• Testing for paternity with amniocentesis. Samples of DNA collected from the foetus can be compared to DNA collected from the potential father

Reasons for a Statutory Ban on Amniocentesis

• As a result of small families and the disproportionate preference for male children, the female population is decreasing at an alarming rate. Amniocentesis is a fetal diagnostic technique used to detect abnormalities in the foetus. The procedure is being misused to determine a foetus’s gender. As soon as the sex of the foetus is determined, there is the possibility of female foeticide. This is why amniocentesis is prohibited under state law

• It is used to diagnose any chromosomal defects. However, amniocentesis has recently been used to determine the gender of the foetus, leading to several female foeticides. This results in the gender ratio dropping
• In the current day and age, amniocentesis is used so frequently that it should be prohibited. It often determines a fetus’s gender, and in some cases, it has even led to female foeticide. That would mean abortion would be permitted since the foetus would be incurable

Conclusion

The amniocentesis test determines the sex and disorder of a foetus based on the chromosomal pattern of the amniotic fluid surrounding the embryo. By piercing the amniotic sac through the abdominal wall, a sample of amniotic fluid surrounding the embryo in the uterus is taken. Embryonic cells (mainly shed from the skin) are present in amniotic fluid drained from a uterus. By studying chromosome patterns in cell cultures, chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down’s syndrome) can be detected prenatally. The biochemistry of the cells can also be used to diagnose metabolic errors and other diseases such as spina bifida. Nowadays, amniocentesis is used to commit female foeticide instead of positive uses. Amniocentesis is used to determine the gender of the foetus, and if it is found to be a female one, the fetus is aborted. It is because of this that amniocentesis in India is prohibited.