Question

Amniocentesis for sex determination is banned in our country. Is this ban necessary? Comment.

Answer 1

Amniocentesis includes extraction of amniotic fluid by insertion of a needle through the abdomen into the uterus and amniotic sac. Amniotic fluid contains amniotic membrane cells and foetus skin cells which are then cultured to detect any chromosomal anomaly in the foetus by analysing chromosomal aberration/defects. Since amniocentesis can also disclose the sex of foetus, it has been misused by expecting parents abort the developing foetus if it is a female child. Sex determination by amniocentesis caused genetic imbalance by reducing a number of females to males and thus its use for sex determination of foetus has been banned in India where the girl child is still unwanted one.