The patient is a 26-year-old woman with a complicated pregnancy, who has been on bedrest because of diabetic nephropathy. Due to the fact that the fetus might be in a hostile environment, we felt that accelerated pulmonary maturity might be a possibility; therefore, at this time, we elected to go with amniocentesis to help us manage her pregnancy. She had been fully informed of the risks and benefits of the procedure prior to proceeding.