INVASIVE ANTENATAL PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENT FOR NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT ADMISSION

Neonatal respiratory difficulties are increased following second trime ster amniocentesis. In preterm, prolonged rupture of the membranes, re spiratory outcome is particularly poor when rupture occurs in the firs t trimester. It therefore seems likely that first trimester/early amni ocentesis (EA) would be associated with severe respiratory problems ne cessitating a high neonatal intensive carl unit (NICU) admission rate. To test that hypothesis, the requirement for admission to the NICU of 278 infants whose mothers had undergone EA, 262 whose mothers had und ergone chorion villus sampling (CVS group) and 264 controls whose moth ers had undergone no invasive procedures were reviewed as were their d iagnoses if they needed admission. There was no significant difference in the mode of delivery, gestational age or gender distribution of th e three groups and the median maternal age of the EA and CVS groups wa s similar. Nineteen EA? eight CVS and five control infants required ad mission to the NICU (EA versus controls, P < 0.01; EA versus CVS plus controls, P < 0.005). Nine EA, one CVS and four control infants had su ffered respiratory problems (EA versus CVS P < 0.05). Logistic regress ion analysis demonstrated that immaturity and EA were significantly as sociated with a requirement for NICU admission. We conclude infants wh ose mothers have undergone EA may be at increased risk for NICU admiss ion, this is partly due to respiratory problems but the association is uncommon.