Pregnancy & Baby 

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CVS in early pregnancy

CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling) is usually carried out between eight and ten weeks to diagnose foetal abnormalities in women who are over 35 or to determine the risk of the baby having inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia or haemophilia. It is also 100% accurate on detecting Down’s syndrome.

The test usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes. It consists of a small amount of the chorion, the outer tissue that surrounds the developing foetus and placenta, is taken and analysed. Ultrasound is used to guide the probe.

Both transcervical (via the cervix opening) and transabdominal (through the abdominal wall) CVS appear to be equally safe procedures, according to various recognised sources. In one study quoted, CVS seems to increase the risk of miscarriage by one per cent.

A large study has also shown that pregnancy 'loss' rates after CVS are not really any different from loss rates after amniocentesis. Other factors can influence foetal loss rates adversely in CVS, and these include the location of the placenta in the fundus (or uppermost segment of the uterus) as opposed to on the side wall of the uterus (which is the normal site), the number of catheter passages during the procedure, and any history of bleeding during the pregnancy.

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