A 4-year review of amniocentesis at a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia: an experience from a LMIC

Background Amniocentesis is a technique for withdrawing amniotic fluid from the uterine cavity using a needle via a trans-abdominal approach. It has multiple diagnostic and therapeutic uses such as prenatal genetic studies and amnioreduction for polyhydramnios. The commonest indications are advanced maternal age and increased risk on maternal serum screening. The objective of this study is to review the common indications, outcomes and complications of amniocentesis at a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia. Data was collected from the Fetomaternal division’s log records and follow-up charts during the time period of 2019 to 2022. All records of patients who had amniocentesis done were included in the study. Socio-demographic information and obstetric history and variables related to the procedures were retrieved. Descriptive statistics was done using the software IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results A total of 35 patients’ records were reviewed. The mean maternal age was 32 years (range, 19 – 43 years). The mean gestational age was 20.9 weeks (SD ± 2.2). The commonest indications for amniocentesis were previous history of Down syndrome (11%), advanced maternal age (9%) and QUAD 1:200 for Down syndrome (6%). Karyotype test was done in 29 of the 35 amniocentesis cases which was normal in 72% of the cases, 17% had Trisomy-21 and 11% had Trisomy-18. Fifty-two percent of the pregnancy had a live full term delivery and 25% of the cases terminated the pregnancy. Conclusion The most common indications for amniocentesis in Ethiopia were abnormal ultrasound finding, advanced maternal age and abnormal QUAD test results. Around a quarter of the genetic tests which were done after the procedure had chromosomal abnormalities, from which, the majority were terminated. There was no complication related to the procedure.