Cutaneous foetal injuries related to amniocentesis

Amniocentesis is one of the most important prenatal diagnostic procedures available to assess congenital abnormalities. It is performed worldwide due to its simplicity of execution and lack of risk. The most frequent known accidents in amniocentesis are abortion, oligohydramnios, amniositis and placental abruption, while direct fetal injuries produced by contact with the needle are rarely seen. The injuries produced are extremely variable in severity, but the most frequent is skin wounds, which usually heal as small, round depressed scars. The cases we describe concern the occurrence of iatrogenic cutaneous wound lesions to a fetus during amniocentesis. The medical-legal analysis of the cases required dermatological expertise in order to exclude a different pathogenesis for the skin injuries to the child and were assigned by the court, in order to assess the administrative compensation due to the parents of the child as a result of medical malpractice.