Amniocentesis is a common invasive prenatal sampling method that is used to check for chromosomal abnormalities, genetic and infectious diseases, and paternity testing. In the 1950s, this method of amniocentesis became popular, but in the early days it was done blindly, that is, directly from the belly of the pregnant woman to extract the amniotic fluid, which can be said to be very harmful to both the fetus and the mother. With the development of science, amniocentesis is now performed under the guidance of ultrasound technology to avoid unnecessary injuries, which makes it a very common and safe method of examination. Is it necessary to do amniocentesis? Amniocentesis is not necessary for mothers at low risk for Down’s syndrome screening because of the risks associated with amniocentesis. For mothers with a high risk of mid-term Down’s syndrome screening, amniocentesis is necessary to confirm whether the fetus is Down’s syndrome or not, and only through amniocentesis can the chance of birth defects be minimized. What can amniocentesis detect? 1.Diagnosis of chromosomal, genetic and metabolic diseases, and diagnosis of congenital dullness and stupidity in preparation for subsequent birth interventions; 2.Diagnosis of open neural tube defects, such as anencephaly or spina bifida; 3.Checking the maturity of fetal lungs, kidneys, liver and skin; 4.Predicting fetal blood type and diagnosing whether neonatal hemolysis will occur; 5.Detecting intrauterine infections, such as leukocytes in amniotic fluid If leukocyte-6 is elevated in the amniotic fluid, there may be a subclinical intrauterine infection; 6. To assist in the diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes, the pH should be greater than 7 due to the alkaline nature of the amniotic fluid. Which pregnant women need to have amniocentesis? It is advisable for mothers-to-be to have amniocentesis if the following conditions are met: 1. ultrasound examination of fetal abnormalities such as neural tube defects or abnormally high values of methemoglobin in maternal blood; 2. infection with certain pathogens during pregnancy, such as rubella virus, cytomegalovirus or toxoplasmosis; 3. having given birth to a child with congenital defects, especially to a mother-to-be who has given birth to a child with chromosomal abnormalities; 4. the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities in both spouses 5. The mother-to-be is over 35 years old at the time of delivery. When should amniocentesis be done? The best time to have an amniocentesis is between 17 and 21 weeks of gestation. At this time, the amount of amniotic fluid is relatively large and the fetus is small, so it is not easy to injure the fetus when extracting amniotic fluid by needle puncture, and 20-30 ml of amniotic fluid will not adversely affect the development of the fetus. How long does it take to get the results after the test? The results of amniocentesis are usually available 2-3 weeks after the procedure, but it depends on the schedule of your hospital. The purpose of amniocentesis screening is not to diagnose a particular disease, but to screen for people who are more likely to have a particular disease. In other words, amniocentesis results only show the risk of a possible fetal malformation, and do not necessarily mean that the fetus is sick. How should I take care of myself after amniocentesis? Amniocentesis does not affect the body much because only a small amount of amniotic fluid is extracted under the guidance of ultrasound. Usually, you can go home and rest 2 hours after the procedure. If you experience vaginal bleeding, water, fever or other discomfort, you should seek medical attention. Do not bathe within 24 hours after the operation, do not have sex within half a month after the operation, pay attention to rest, avoid carrying heavy objects or other physical labor, and take more bed rest. Reminder: Although amniocentesis may sound scary, it is in fact the best way to protect yourself and your fetus for women over 35 years of age or for pregnant women with family genetic diseases. Of course, with the development of the times, it should be said that the risk of modern amniocentesis has become lower and lower, and it can even be said to be less than 1%, so from the point of view of eugenics, having an amniocentesis is in fact a good method of eugenics.