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Prenatal diagnostic testing is often performed by an invasive procedure. If women are tested in the first trimester, they undergo chorionic villus sampling by either a transcervical (TC-CVS) or transabdominal (TA-CVS) approach. If tested in the second trimester, they undergo amniocentesis. Women are understandably anxious about pain from these procedures, but how much pain do they actually experience?
In this study, women already scheduled for amniocentesis (n=124), TA-CVS (n=40), or TC-CVS (n=24) rated pain on a 100-point scale immediately after the procedure. Choice of amniocentesis or CVS was based on gestational age, and choice of CVS approach depended on location of the placenta. All test operators were experienced. Local lidocaine was …