Relationship between Down syndrome screening results and gestational age

Women should undergo various examinations in the early and middle stages of pregnancy and before and after the expected delivery date. Each examination item is determined based on the physical condition of the pregnant woman and the growth of the infant. Down syndrome screening is a test for Down syndrome and prenatal screening. It is the most important test for women in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. It is done by extracting the serum of the pregnant woman to check the concentrations of fetal protein, human chorionic gonadotropin and free estriol. So, what is the relationship between the Down syndrome screening results and the gestational age of the pregnant woman?

The relationship between gestational age and Down syndrome screening is that the accuracy of Down syndrome screening results depends on the gestational age. The results of Down syndrome screening are only meaningful if they are performed within the clinically prescribed time period. Early Down syndrome screening is performed by color ultrasound examination at 11-14 weeks of pregnancy, while mid-term Down syndrome screening is performed by blood test at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy. Down syndrome screening is the initial screening method for trisomy 21 syndrome and must be performed.

What does Down syndrome screening mainly check during pregnancy?

Down syndrome screening is the abbreviation for prenatal screening test for Down syndrome. Serum is drawn from expectant mothers to test the concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein, chorionic gonadotropin and free estriol in the maternal serum. The risk factor of giving birth to a fetus with congenital defects is calculated based on the expected date of delivery, weight, age, body weight and gestational age of the pregnant woman at the time of blood collection. Down syndrome screening can only determine the probability of risk. Pregnant women whose Down syndrome screening index exceeds the normal level should undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Only if the results of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling are normal can the possibility of Down syndrome be 100% ruled out.

Down screening is actually the abbreviation of prenatal screening test for Down syndrome, which is one of the examinations that pregnant women must undergo before delivery. Down syndrome screening is done to determine whether the fetus has Down syndrome. The examination method is to test the blood of the pregnant woman. If the test results show that the fetus has Down syndrome, it will need to be confirmed through membrane puncture or chorionic villus sampling.

Many of you may have heard that the fetuses born to older mothers are more likely to suffer from Down syndrome. Indeed, Down syndrome has a great relationship with the age of the pregnant woman. The older the pregnant woman is, the greater the probability that the fetus will suffer from Down syndrome. But this does not mean that all older mothers will give birth to babies with Down syndrome, nor does it mean that young pregnant mothers will not give birth to babies with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome is a sporadic disease, so every pregnant woman has the possibility of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome. The chance of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome increases with the age of the pregnant woman. Children with Down syndrome have severe intellectual disabilities, cannot take care of themselves, and have complex cardiovascular diseases. They require long-term care from their families, which places a huge mental and financial burden on the family. Therefore, doing Down syndrome screening during pregnancy can help take timely measures to avoid it.