Risks of transabdominal chorionic villus sampling before the 12th week of amenorrhea

The authors report on a series of 210 chorion villus sampling diagnoses made with a needle by the transabdominal route. The rate of fetal loss was 4.2 per cent. Placental localization was important: fetal losses were 8 per cent when the placenta was strictly posterior (transamniotic route), whereas it was only 1.6 per cent when it was not posterior. Moreover, all fetal losses occurred (apart from one at 12.5 weeks of amenorrhea) before the 12th week of amenorrhea. The authors suggest that choriocentesis by the transabdominal route should not be performed before the 12th week of amenorrhea, and that the amniotic membrane should not be disturbed before the 13th week of amenorrhea.