[Early amniocentesis between the 12th-14th week of pregnancy. Clinical experiences with 1,100 cases]

Information is presented on 1100 early amniocenteses between the 12th and 14th week of gestation, performed at the Evangelisches Krankenhaus Oberhausen over a two year period. In all cases, a sufficient amount of amniotic fluid was obtained. In 99.7%, the cytogenetic diagnosis was successful. In 2.6% (29 patients), an aberrant karyotype was found. The time of cultivation was in the same range as can be observed in standard amniocentesis. The AFP-median measurements correlate with other studies. The spontaneous abortion rate was 0.3%. We conclude, that early amniocentesis can be performed safely and successfully by an experienced surgeon between the 12th to 14th week of gestation.