Amniocentesis has been in the spotlight lately after a Down Syndrome charity released an analysis suggesting that two chromosomally normal babies were miscarried for every two babies with Down Syndrome who were detected after amniocentesis or CVS testing. (If you're not already familiar with it, amniocentesis is a prenatal test in which a doctor extracts amniotic fluid to test the baby's chromosomes -- and the test carries a small risk of causing a miscarriage. CVS is a similar test that can be performed earlier in the pregnancy and which carries a larger risk.)

To add to the uproar over the charity group's analysis, with the election uproar, there have been some people questioning Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin's decision to have an amniocentesis during her pregnancy that resulted in a baby with Down Syndrome -- saying that if she were truly pro-life, she would not have opted for the amniocentesis and risked miscarriage.

So I thought it would be interesting to consider the issue of amniocentesis. To start, it's important to point out that the risk of amniocentesis might not be so high as people have claimed -- including in the recent report that got so much media attention, which appeared to assume a 1% risk. But some research suggests that the added risk of miscarriage after an amniocentesis might be as low as 0.06% to 0.1%. The exact figure is up for debate, but if the risk is really on the lower end, that's more along the lines of a 1 in 1200 chance of having a miscarriage due to an amniocentesis and not the much higher 1 in 100 number.

That aside, any added risk could be considered arguably too high. But does that mean that amniocentesis should not be used so readily? I can see why people would take that stance. I myself opted out of the prenatal screening tests in my two viable pregnancies, after having gone through plenty enough miscarriages, having normal ultrasounds, being in a low risk group for having a baby with chromosomal problems, and feeling that I would not terminate the pregnancy anyway.

But on the other hand, I can see the other side too. Even if you would never abort due to Down Syndrome, it isn't as if amniocentesis is exclusively a test for Down Syndrome. There are other more serious conditions that can be confirmed by amniocentesis, including some that might lead to the baby not being able to live for more than a few days after birth. And even looking at Down Syndrome, I can see the merit of possibly confirming a Down Syndrome diagnosis as early as possible so as to have time to read up on the condition and get an idea of what lies ahead -- at least if the risk is more on the lower end of the estimates.

What do you think? Vote in the poll and/or leave a comment below.

More Information:

• What's the Real Risk of Amniocentesis?