THEi-amniocentesis ukuhlolwa okuvame kakhulu okusetshenziselwa ukuxilongwa ngaphambi kokubeletha. Ihlose ukuthatha kancane uketshezi lwe-amniotic lapho ugeza khona fetus. Lolu ketshezi luqukethe iseli kanye nezinye izinto ezikwazi ukunikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana nempilo yombungu. 

I-Amniocentesis ivamise ukwenziwa phakathi kweviki le-14 nelama-20 lokukhulelwa ukuze libonwe ukungahambi kahle kwe-chromosomal (ikakhulukazi i-Down Syndrome noma i-Trisomy 21) kanye nokukhubazeka okuthile kokuzalwa. Kungenziwa:

• uma iminyaka kamama isihambile. Kusukela eminyakeni engu-35, ubungozi bokukhubazeka kokuzalwa buphezulu.
• lapho ukuhlolwa kwegazi kanye ne-ultrasound ye-trimester yokuqala kubonisa ingozi yokungajwayelekile kwe-chromosomal
• uma kukhona okungavamile kwe-chromosomal kubazali
• lapho ingane ine-abnormalities ku-ultrasound ye-2^st ikota

Uma kwenziwa, i-amniocentesis iphinde ivumele ukuthi ubulili bombungu bunqunywe.

Ukuhlolwa kungase kwenzeke kamuva, phakathi ne-trimester yesithathu yokukhulelwa:

• ukubona ukuthi i-fetus iwakhe amaphaphu
• noma ukuthola ukutheleleka kwe-amniotic fluid (isibonelo, uma kwenzeka kuba nokukhubazeka kokukhula).

Ukuhlolwa kwenziwa udokotela wokubelethisa esibhedlela. Aqale ahlole indawo ye-fetus kanye ne-fetus placenta ngokwenza i-ultrasound. Lokhu kuzosebenza njengomhlahlandlela ngesikhathi sokusebenza.

Ukuhlolwa kuhilela ukufaka inaliti esiswini nasesibelethweni. Uma esengene esikhwameni se-amniotic, udokotela ukhipha cishe u-30 ml woketshezi bese ekhipha inaliti. Indawo yokubhoboza imbozwe ngebhandeshi.

Ukuhlolwa konke kuthatha cishe imizuzu eyi-15, futhi inaliti ihlala kuphela esibelethweni umzuzu owodwa noma emibili.

Kuso sonke isikhathi sokuhlolwa, udokotela uhlola izinga lokushaya kwenhliziyo komntwana, kanye nomfutho wegazi kamama nokuphefumula.

Qaphela ukuthi isinye sikamama kufanele singabi nalutho ngaphambi kokwenza ukuxilongwa.

Khona-ke i-amniotic fluid ihlaziywa ukuze:

• ukusungula i i-karyotype ukuze kuhlaziywe i-chromosome
• ukukala izinto ezithile ezikhona oketshezini, njenge-alpha-fetoprotein (ukuthola ukuthi kungenzeka kube khona ukonakala kwesimiso sezinzwa noma udonga lwesisu lombungu)

I-Amniocentesis ukuhlolwa okuhlaselayo okungaveza izingozi ezimbili eziyinhloko:

• ukukhulelwa kwesisu, cishe kokukodwa kokungu-200 kuya ku-300 (kuye ngokuthi isikhungo)
• ukutheleleka kwesibeletho (okungavamile)

Ukuphumula kwamahora angu-24 kuyelulekwa ngemva kokuhlolwa. Kungenzeka ukuzizwa amajaqamba esiswini.

Izikhathi zokuhlaziya ziyahlukahluka kuye ngokuthi ilabhorethri. Ngokuvamile, kuthatha amasonto angu-3-4 ukuze uthole i-karyotype ye-fetus, kodwa ingaba ngokushesha.

Uma inani lamaseli atholiwe futhi ahlaziywa lanele, iziphetho zezifundo ze-chromosomal cishe zithembeke ngokuphelele.

Uma kwenzeka kutholakala okungavamile, umbhangqwana uzoba nokukhetha ukuqhubeka nokukhulelwa noma ukucela ukukunqamula. Kuyisinqumo esinzima esikubo kuphela.