Value of early amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis in the first trimester of pregnancy

: For the prenatal diagnosis of the fetal status, amniocentesis was performed in 9-12-week pregnancy in 31 females at risk for birth of a baby with chromosomal abnormalities and congenital malformations of the central nervous system. There were no difficulties in carrying out the procedure. A balanced translocation-bearing female was found to have a fetal chromosomal abnormality. Her pregnancy was interrupted at the 11th week; the prenatal diagnosis was evidenced by cytogenetic examination of the abortion specimen. The amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein estimated by radioimmunoassay ranged from 15-18 to 550-620 ng/ml. The findings suggest that early amniocentesis may be useful in the prenatal diagnosis of the fetal status and further evidence should be accumulated.