Premium
Does amniocentesis (AC) influence fetal growth?
Author(s) -
Nguyen T. huu,
Larsen T.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.202
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1469-0705
pISSN - 0960-7692
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-0705.2001.abs27-31.x
Subject(s) - medicine , obstetrics , birth weight , gestational age , gestation , amniocentesis , pregnancy , singleton , population , cohort , fetus , low birth weight , chorionic villus sampling , gynecology , prenatal diagnosis , biology , genetics , environmental health
Purpose: To examine the relationship between AC and birth weight. Methods: A cohort of singleton pregnancies with AC carried out in Denmark ( n = 96893) was compared to the total population of singleton pregnancies without AC or CVS (chorionic villus sampling) ( n = 873254) for infants born in years between 1980 and 1996. Exclusion criteria were multiple pregnancies, infants with malformations, chromosomal abnormalities, stillbirths, and death within the first living year. The pregnancies with AC were grouped according to gestational age (14–19th week of gestation) at the time of AC, and mean birth weight was calculated for each group. Maternal age, parity and previous abortions were taken into account when comparing mean birth weights. To exclude social status as a confounder, the overall mean birth weight (pregnancies without CVS or AC) was also compared to the mean birth weight of a subgroup of infants (also without CVS or AC) born to women who undergo AC in some other pregnancy. Results: The mean birth weight of the AC cohort was found to be significantly higher than that of the total population and inversely related to the gestational age at AC. Conclusion: The invasive procedure seems to stimulate growth. No known potential cofounders can explain the higher birth weight after pregnancies with AC.