Needle puncture scars from midtrimester amniocentesis.

A neonate was noted to have two depressed scars on the upper part of the back at birth that we believe resulted from midtrimester amniocentesis; no underlying injury was apparent. Scar formation from needle puncture occurs in an estimated 1% to 3% of the infants whose mothers have undergone midtrimester diagnostic amniocentesis. The scars most commonly are depressed, dimplelike, and measure 1 to 2 mm in diameter, although linear scarring may also occur. Single or multiple scars may be present, and, in seven of the 36 infants previously described in the literature, internal injuries also occurred as a result of the needle puncture.