Women's Services

Our highly-trained specialists offer the highest level of obstetric and gynecological services to women of all ages, teenager to geriatric.

Maternal Fetal Medicine

The region's undisputed leader in caring for women and babies, Hurley has the region’s only NICU,  PICU, Pediatric Emergency Department and Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Community Education

To help every woman live a healthy life, we offer a full spectrum of educational classes, including diabetes, weight loss, smoking cessation and heart health.

Helping You Live A Healthy Life

The goal of Hurley's Women's Services is to help every mother, daughter, wife, sister, aunt and grandmother live a long, healthy life.

Obstetrics

At Hurley, we are committed to women and babies and are the area’s undisputed leader in giving them the very best care available anywhere.

Amniocentesis

The following describes amniocentesis. For specific information regarding your health and treatment options, please contact your Hurley physician or medical professional.

The very best medical care available for you and your unborn baby.

One important diagnostic test that we perform on our pregnant patients is amniocentesis, especially if they are high risk. 

Amniocentesis (Amnio)

Amniocentesis (also called an amnio) is a prenatal test that allows your physician to gather information about your baby's health from a sample of your amniotic fluid. This is the fluid that surrounds your baby.

The most common reason to have an amniocentesis is to determine whether a baby has certain genetic disorders or a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down syndrome. Amniocentesis (or another procedure, called chorionic villus sampling or CVS)  can diagnose these problems in the womb.

Amniocentesis is usually done when a woman is around 14 weeks pregnant. Though all women should be offered the option of having an amnio, women who choose to have this test are primarily those at increased risk for genetic and chromosomal problems, in part because the test is invasive and carries a small risk of miscarriage.

An amniocentesis is usually performed to check for chromosomal and other fetal problems, including:

  • Down syndrome
  • Rare, inherited metabolic disorders
  • Neural tube defects

Further along in a pregnancy, it can also be used to detect:

  • Infection
  • Rh incompatibility
  • Lung maturity

The risk of miscarriage after having amniocentesis is approximately 1 in 300 to 500. This risk becomes very low when the physicians are as experienced and skilled as those at Hurley Medical Center.

Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine

A Hurley physician performs amniocentesis in the Ultrasound Department of our Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine here in the medical center. A sonographer (ultrasound technician who specializes in obstetrics and high-risk pregnancy) often helps the physician find a fluid pocket for testing but the physician performs the actual procedure.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact:

Hurley Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine
Hurley Medical Center
One Hurley Plaza, 3West                                                                                                                                             
Flint, MI  48503
(810) 424-4787