Meaning of AMNIOCENTESIS

Pronunciation:			`amneeowsen'teesis
WordNet Dictionary
	Definition:		[n]  extraction by centesis of amniotic fluid from a pregnant woman (after the 15th week of pregnancy) to aid in the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities
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	See Also:		centesis, prenatal diagnosis
Medical Dictionary
	Definition:		A procedure in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is removed and analyzed to detect various genetic characteristics or lung maturity of the unborn baby.
Biology Dictionary
	Definition:		A technique for testing the genetic health of a fetus by inserting a needle through the mother's abdominal wall into the uterus and extracting a small amount of the amniotic fluid, the fluid that surrounds the fetus. Sloughed-off fetal cells (fibroblasts) found in this fluid are then cultured and their DNA examined for defects. This procedure is done in the second trimester, and because of the time needed to do the culture, results aren't generally available until after the 20th week of pregnancy.
Glossary
	Definition:		a medical technique in which amniotic fluid is removed for study of the fetus.