How many weeks is the best time to have Down syndrome

Patients with Down syndrome usually have several characteristics, such as upturned eyes, thick neck, and short stature. They look a bit like children who never grow up, but they look like adults. The chance of having a child with Down syndrome is not very high now, but factors in this regard do exist. Therefore, no matter what age, pregnant mothers should pay attention to Down syndrome screening. When is the best time to do Down syndrome screening?

What is Down syndrome? ——Down syndrome is commonly known as congenital dementia

A flat nose, upturned eyes, a thick neck, a short stature, only one horizontal line on the palm, arched fingerprints, short fingers, and a wide distance between the thumb and index finger - this is the basic facial appearance of a child with Down syndrome. Moreover, most of the children have severe intellectual disabilities and multiple organ abnormalities, such as congenital heart disease, leukemia, and gastrointestinal malformations.

According to incomplete statistics, one in every 660 newborns suffers from Down syndrome, and as the maternal age increases, the chance of the fetus suffering from the disease will be higher. The prevalence rate is 1/1490 for mothers aged between 20 and 24, 1/106 for those aged 40, and rises to 1/11 for those aged 49.

Down syndrome screening is an effective means to prevent congenital idiocy in children. During pregnancy, it is difficult to detect Down syndrome through other routine examinations (such as B-ultrasound). Once a child with Down syndrome is born, it will place a long-term and heavy burden on the individual, the family and society.

How to do Down syndrome screening?

In this regard, an obstetrician and gynecologist from a well-known obstetrics and gynecology hospital stated that Down syndrome screening will be done twice during pregnancy, one in the early pregnancy and the other in the middle pregnancy. By extracting serum from pregnant women and testing the concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin and free estriol in the maternal serum, and combining the pregnant woman's due date, weight, age and gestational age at the time of blood collection, the probability of a fetus with congenital defects can be accurately calculated.

How do I know the results of the screening?

Generally speaking, pregnant women can know the screening results 2-3 weeks after blood is drawn. If the test results show that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is 70% of that of a normal pregnant woman, and the level of free-β subunit-human chorionic gonadotropin (Free hCGβ) is rigidly elevated, the chance of having a fetus with congenital idiocy is very high, and an amniotic fluid test is needed to confirm the diagnosis. But pregnant mothers don’t need to worry, the doctor will take appropriate intervention measures based on your situation.

Precautions

Before the examination, pregnant women need to provide more detailed personal information, including date of birth, last menstrual period, weight, whether they have insulin-dependent diabetes, whether they are having single or twin babies, whether they smoke, history of abnormal pregnancy, etc. Because these data play an important role in the risk rate statistics of screening, pregnant mothers must be serious and realistic when filling out the test form.