Chorionic Villus Sampling

To the Editor: As an obstetrician-geneticist and practitioner of both chorionic villus sampling and genetic amniocentesis, I have found that patients and obstetricians rarely express concern about the reported small differences in cost or efficacy between the two procedures. The major concern is safety (risk of miscarriage). A small increase in the risk of miscarriage will persuade many patients and physicians to choose the “safer” procedure. How physicians communicate to patients the results of the collaborative study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (March 9 issue)¹ will influence the use of chorionic villus sampling. The authors conclude that the.