Miriam Schneider had amniocentesis (amnio), a test for birth defects and other conditions, after successful infertility treatments. Schneider, from Manhattan, N.Y., had not one, but two completely healthy twin girls.

"I decided to have amnio because when I was 39, my husband and I went through in vitro fertilization and we had ICSI [intracytoplasmic sperm injection]," says Schneider. "We wanted to make sure there were no birth defects."

Physicians typically recommend amniocentesis for women 15 to 20 weeks pregnant who have an increased risk of certain birth defects or malformations in the fetus. By testing a few teaspoons of amniotic fluid, a genetic counselor or doctor may detect chromosomal abnormalities, fetal anemia, the baby's gender, Rh disease and genetic disorders including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and Tay-Sachs disease.

Schneider has a history of Down syndrome in her family. "We did not want to know the sex, so that was not a reason we did it," Schneider says. "My husband is 33 years older than I am. With his age and my age, the challenges of raising a severely handicapped child – we did not want to have that be a problem we would face."

Schneider says amnio raises moral questions for some people. She had a cousin who was also 39 when she became pregnant, but decided not to have amnio because she wanted to keep her child no matter what the outcome.

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