Diagnose an infection or certain other illnesses in the baby.In this case, amniocentesis is done later in pregnancy. Check your baby's lung development if you have a risk for giving birth too soon ( premature birth).Neural tube defects, severe birth defects of the baby's brain and/or spine, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.Tay-Sachs disease, a disease that destroys nerve cells, causes mental and physical problems, and often death in early childhood (uncommon).Sickle cell disease, a group of red blood cell disorders that can cause anemia and other health problems.Cystic fibrosis, a disease of the mucus and sweat glands that causes thick sticky mucus, which can lead to problems with breathing and digestion.Down syndrome, a disorder that causes intellectual disabilities and other health problems.Genetic and chromosomal disorders, including:.If a screening test shows your baby could have a problem, your health care provider may recommend amniocentesis or another diagnostic test to find out for sure.Īmniocentesis is used to diagnose certain health problems in an unborn baby. They can only show if your baby might have a health problem. Prenatal screening tests have no risks for you or your baby, but they don't diagnose problems. Diagnostic tests are different from prenatal screening tests for genetic disorders. That means it will tell you whether your baby has a specific health problem, and the results are almost always accurate.

The fluid contains cells that provide important information about your unborn baby's health.Īmniocentesis is a diagnostic test. Amniotic fluid is a clear or pale yellow liquid that surrounds and protects an unborn baby throughout pregnancy. The test is usually done between weeks 15 and 20 of pregnancy.Īmniocentesis looks at a sample of amniotic fluid. Amniocentesis is a test done during pregnancy to diagnose certain genetic disorders, birth defects, and other conditions in an unborn baby.

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