Genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the pregnancy loss rate resulting fr om 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 underw ent genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction were compare d with a control group of 167 patients who did not have genetic amniocentes is after multifetal pregnancy reduction. RESULTS: The pregnancy loss rate in patients who underwent genetic amniocen tesis 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 evid ence of infection was found in only 1 case, in which the pregnancy loss occ urred 1 day after the amniocentesis. In the other cases the pregnancy losse s occurred 5 weeks after genetic amniocentesis, and these tosses could not be directly attributed to either genetic amniocentesis or the multifetal re duction procedure. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the performance of genetic amniocentesis after multifetal pregnancy reduction does not increase the risk of pregnanc y loss over that observed in association with the reduction itself.