Genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction,

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the pregnancy loss rate resulting from genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction. Study Design: A cohort study was performed in pregnancies with maternal age >30 years. Pregnancy loss in a study population of 127 patients who underwent genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction were compared with a control group of 167 patients who did not have genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction. Results: The pregnancy loss rate in patients who underwent genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction was 3.1% (4/127 cases) compared with 7.2% (12/167 cases) in the controls (P> .05). In the study group evidence of infection was found in only 1 case, in which the pregnancy loss occurred 1 day after the amniocentesis. In the other cases the pregnancy losses occurred 5 weeks after genetic amniocentesis, and these losses could not be directly attributed to either genetic amniocentesis or the multifetal reduction procedure. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the performance of genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction does not increase the risk of pregnancy loss over that observed in association with the reduction itself. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:226-30.)