Amniocentesis is a diagnostic procedure performed during pregnancy to assess the baby's genetic health and detect certain other fetal conditions. This procedure may generally be recommended by a physician in the presence of the following conditions: The expectant mother being 35 years of age or older; high risk for genetic abnormalities identified in first-trimester, double, or triple screening tests; a family history of hereditary genetic disease or carrier status; a previous pregnancy that resulted in a chromosomal abnormality; suspicion of structural abnormalities or developmental delays in the fetus during a detailed ultrasound examination; for confirming or ruling out the presence of a fetal infection; for determining fetal blood type or planning treatment in Rh-negative mothers suspected of fetal anemia or Rh disease; and, rarely, for assessing fetal lung maturity in pregnancies with a risk of preterm birth.