Thoughts about Amniotic Fluid

What a rather extraordinary conjunction of two amniotic fluid-related news items over the past week. On the one hand, we have the disturbing news of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynocologists' new recommendations that all pregnant women, regardless of all age, undergo prenatal testing (including amniocentesis, if they choose) to help prevent the public health tragedy of letting a baby with Down Syndrome slip through alive into this otherwise perfect world of ours.   On the other hand, we have the enouraging news about amniotic fluid as a possible source of stem cells every bit as filled with medical potential as those hitherto only obtainable by the destruction of embryos.

With respect to the first news item, I wonder if it is really newsworthy.  I don't know if this was just because the fact that I was a lawyer was noted in my medical files, but prenatal testing was strongly encouraged in all my pregnancies, including the ones I experienced before the age of 35.  I'd be curious to hear what kind of experiences the rest of you (or your wives) had in that regard.  I suppose what is most revolutionary about this new proposal is that it is supposed to be less directive about the type of testing offered younger or older women, presumably leading more younger women to have the more invasive (and potentially harmful to the fetus) amniocentesis rather than the less invasive blood tests.  But, honestly, I have rather mixed feelings about that, too.  The blood tests provide only statistical probabilities that the baby has various conditions;  I often wonder how many abortions are performed based on a wrong bet about those statistics.  At least the results of amniocentesis are conclusive.

And with respect to the risks posed by amniocentesis, doesn't this wonderful news about amniotic fluid as the possible source of pluripotent (AND genetically compatible) stem cells provide compelling incentive to work on medical procedures to minimize the risks inherent in the extraction of amniotic fluid? 

(In the interests of full disclosure -- I did choose to undergo amniocentesis before the birth of my third child, based on noninvasive blood tests that indicated a high probability that he had Down Syndrome.  The amnio revealed that he did.  He does.  He's wonderful.   I did not choose to undergo amniocentesis before the birth of my fourth child.  At that time, we didn't feel anything we might learn about her before she was born would be worth any sort of risk.  And in the interests of further disclosure, as I've argued elsewhere (here and here), although I think the knowledge that can be obtained by prenatal testing can be positive and useful, I deplore the genocidal intent that motivates most prenatal testing.)

Lisa

UPDATE:  The news gets better and better.  Carter Snead tells me that the research regarding the derivation of pluripotent stem cells from amniotic fluid "also suggests that the same cells could be obtained from the placenta at birth, thus posing no risk to mother or child."    It seems to me that the case for breeding and harvesting embryos for their stem cells gets weaker and weaker.