TERMINAL TRANSVERSE LIMB DEFECTS AND EARLY CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING - EVALUATION OF 4,300 CASES WITH COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP

Data from 4,300 consecutive cases following prenatal diagnosis by tran scervical (TC) CVS (n = 1,570) and transabdominal (TA) CVS (n = 2,370) were evaluated. In the follow-up study only infants examined by a phy sician were included. Gestational age varied between 8.5 and 11.6 week s (mean 10.3 weeks) for TC-CVS and between 9.3 and 20 weeks (mean 12.3 weeks) for TA-CVS 98% of TC-CVS was performed at 9-10 weeks, 80.7% of TA-CVS procedures were carried out at 12-15 weeks. Selective terminat ion took place in 97 cases of TC-CVS (6.1%) and in 72 cases of TA-CVS (2.6%). Another 8 women had a termination for psychosocial reasons, re sulting in 4,123 (1,469 TC, 2,654 TA) continuing pregnancies. The over all fetal loss rate <28 weeks was 5.4% (n = 80) for TC-CVS and 2.6% (n = 70) for TA-CVS. The overall incidence of congenital abnormalities a fter birth was 0.9%. Two terminal transversal limb defects were detect ed in the TC-CVS group (0.14%) against one (0.04%) in the TA-CVS group .