What diagnostic tests are available?

Chorionic Villi Sampling (CVS): The fetus and the placenta are located with ultrasound. Then a catheter is inserted through the woman’s vagina and cervix, or a thin needle is inserted through the woman’s abdomen to obtain a sample of the placenta so the fetal chromosomes can be examined. We refer patients to Portland for CVS.
Amniocentesis: After locating a safe area by ultrasound, a thin needle is inserted through the woman’s abdomen into the uterus and a small amount of the fluid around the fetus is taken out. The fluid and the cells in the fluid are sent to a laboratory for analysis. The type of testing will be discussed and is usually a karyotype or a microarray.