disadvantages

Last edited 03/2020

  • risk of miscarriage with CVS
    • Public Health England information states that:
      • 1 in 200 women will miscarry following a CVS or amniocentesis (1)

      A RCOG publication notes that (2):

      • Women should be informed that the additional risk of miscarriage following amniocentesis is around 1%.
      • Women should be informed that the additional risk of miscarriage following CVS may be slightly higher than that of amniocentesis carried out after 15 weeks gestation

  • there is a small risk that the test may cause abnormality in the baby e.g. the limb agenesis syndrome which may be caused by early disruption of the blood supply to the developing part

  • chromosome analysis with CVS is less accurate than with amniocentesis

  • occasionally the result cannot be interpreted and an alternative test is advised

  • there may be genetic mosaicism between the chorionic cells and the foetus resulting in both false negative and false positive diagnoses of e.g. Down syndrome

Reference: