~ 75 % of abnormal karyotypes ( obtained by chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis ) associated with CPCs are trisomy 18, while the remainder are trisomy 21.

CPCs typically disappear later during pregnancy, and are considered soft markers.

Choroid plexus cysts ( CPCs ) are cysts that occur within choroid plexus of the brain.

CPCs are often called " soft signs " or fetal ultrasound " markers " because some studies have found a weak association between CPCs and fetal chromosome abnormalities.

CPCs that qualify as medical clinics may also provide pregnancy testing, sonograms, and other services ; however, the vast majority are not licensed and provide no medical services.

There are over 4, 000 CPCs in the United States, as compared with well under 750 abortion clinics.

While CPCs often look like abortion clinics and are intentionally located near them, the overwhelming majority are not legally licensed as medical clinics and do not offer medical services.

It is frequently claimed that women who visit CPCs and see their embryos or fetuses through the use of ultrasound technology decide against abortion, although there are no scientific studies which support this.

The overwhelming majority of CPCs in the U. S. are run by pro-life Christians according to a conservative Christian philosophy.

Some CPCs are run by the Catholic Church or by other church groups.

CPCs outside the United States are also frequently Christian.

Other CPCs in New York and California have been enjoined from providing pregnancy tests without a license, while a CPC in California was forbidden to advertise pregnancy tests as " free " if they are conditional upon hearing a presentation or counseling.

However, the Attorney General's office also worked out an agreement with one of the CPCs in question, intended to be used as a model, which sets out practices including informing clients that the center does not provide abortion or birth control, that it is not a licensed medical facility, and that the pregnancy tests it provides are over-the-counter.

Most crisis pregnancy centers are affiliated with several major pro-life organizations that fund CPCs ; these are Care Net, Heartbeat International, Birthright International, and National Institute of Family and Life Advocates ( NIFLA ).

Legal and legislative action in response to CPCs has typically focused on their advertising practices, and has usually resulted in the CPCs in question being obliged to make clear statements about the services they offer.

" As in the United States, unaffiliated CPCs may also be run by church groups or otherwise Christian.

Most efforts by municipalities to mandate that CPCs provide certain information or post signage have been found to run afoul of the United States Constitution when challenged in the federal courts.

Colorado-based Focus on the Family had the goal of equipping 800 CPCs with ultrasound machines by 2010, through its " Option Ultrasound " program.

In the 1980s, investigative reporters from the Arizona Republic, the San Francisco Chronicle and CBS News, among others, filed stories about CPCs luring women by offering free pregnancy tests but then scaring them with religious arguments.

In particular, the advertising approach of the Pearson Foundation, which assists local groups establishing CPCs, has been criticized by some other pro-life groups, including Birthright International, another CPC operator.

The Montgomery County ordinance, which required CPCs to post signs stating that they do not employ licensed medical professionals and that the county health department advises seeking a licensed health care provider, was enjoined in part by the federal court in Maryland in March 2011.

New York City's effort to regulate the information provided by CPCs was enjoined by the federal court in Manhattan in July 2011.

As of 2007, two Christian charities, Care Net and Heartbeat International, accounted for three quarters of CPCs in the United States.

Many CPCs require their staff to be Christian.

CPCs unaffiliated with either of these may also require staff to be Christian.

CareConfidential, the largest umbrella network for CPCs in the United Kingdom, runs " Christian-based pregnancy crisis centres " and is a division of the Christian charity CARE.

" The United States-based Human Life International runs " Catholic pregnancy centers " in Mexico and also provides aid to the Centros de Ayuda para la Mujer, a network of CPCs in Latin America whose philosophy is " in conformity with the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Legal and legislative action regarding CPCs has generally attempted to curb deceptive advertising, targeting those that present themselves as abortion clinics or requiring centers to disclose that they do not offer certain services or possess certain qualifications.

In their advertisements, some CPCs may describe themselves as offering " abortion alternatives ", or with another term that indicates that they do not assist clients in obtaining an abortion.

In 2006, Congressman Henry Waxman ( D-CA ) led an investigation of taxpayer-funded CPCs and found that they provided " false and misleading information " on an alleged link between abortion and breast cancer, on the alleged effects of abortion on fertility, and on the alleged mental health effects of abortion.

New York City, Baltimore, Montgomery County, Maryland and Austin, Texas have all passed local laws that would require CPCs to post signs about the nature of the services they offer.

Genetic counseling is often recommended to provide more information about fetal CPCs, to answer questions and concerns, and to outline available options such as amniocentesis or a blood test from the mother.

Most CPCs offer free pregnancy tests, often over-the-counter ones, and there is a movement towards obtaining medical clinic status, largely so that more CPCs may offer sonograms in an attempt to convince women to carry their pregnancies to term.

An example of the CPCs for an item with five categories, scored from 0 to 4, is shown in Figure 1.

The Southern Baptist Convention — the largest Protestant denomination in the United States — has formed an Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission ( ERLC ), which works to equip more CPCs with ultrasound machines through a venture called the " Psalm 139 Project ".

CPCs may also claim that surgical abortion is a dangerous procedure, with a high risk of perforation or infection.

Unaffiliated CPCs, or CPCs affiliated with other organizations, may provide a religious perspective in their counseling.

Three other CPCs involved in the case — Escondido Pregnancy Services, Poway Pregnancy Counseling Center and San Diego Counseling Center — settled out of court and agreed to change their advertising practices, while the last, San Diego Pregnancy Services, had earlier closed when faced with accusations of coercion in its adoption practices.

Care Net is the largest network of CPCs in North America, with 1, 100 centers advising over 350, 000 women annually.

Heartbeat International, a U. S .- based group which affiliates with CPCs both in the United States and abroad, is associated with over 1, 000 centers .< ref name =" heartbeat ">

It is believed that many adults have one or more tiny CPCs.