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Chorionic villus sampling - Risks

What the risks are:

The risks of CVS are only slightly higher than those of an amniocentesis.

Possible complications include:

  • Bleeding
  • Infection
  • Miscarriage
  • Rh incompatibility in the mother
  • Rupture of membranes

Signs of complications include:

Report any signs of complications to your health care provider.

CVS was previously thought to cause limb problems in the developing baby. When CVS is performed after 9 weeks gestational age, this risk appears to be very low (6 per 10,000), and is no more frequent than in pregnancies without this testing.

Special considerations:

If your blood is Rh negative, you may receive RhoGAM to prevent Rh incompatibility.

You will receive a follow-up ultrasound 2 to 4 days after the procedure to make sure the pregnancy is proceeding normally.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/5/2010
  • Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Simpson JL, Otano L. Prenatal genetic diagnosis. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson JL. Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2007:chap. 7.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Invasive prenatal testing for aneuploidy. Washington (DC): American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG); 2007 Dec. 9 p.

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