Questionable role of amniocentesis in the etiology of amniotic band formation. A case report.

A preterm infant had an amniotic band sequence. Anomalies included left leg amputation and digital anomalies of the hands. The umbilical cord was short, and histologic sections of the placenta demonstrated partial avulsion of the amnion and fibrosis of the underlying chorion. Ultrasound at 21 weeks was normal, there was no history of trauma during the pregnancy, and no amniocentesis had been performed. Despite isolated case reports of amniotic band sequence associated with amniocentesis, we doubt that amniotic band formation is a significant risk after second-trimester amniocentesis.