Is NT more accurate or is Down's syndrome screening more accurate

Checking up pregnant women during pregnancy is very important, because pregnancy is a long process, and many mothers are very concerned about whether the baby is healthy and whether there are any genetic diseases. If there is a family inheritance during pregnancy, then NT screening and Down syndrome screening are needed. Such examinations can determine the presence of some genetic diseases, and can also detect and treat them early to avoid some problems.

Is there any difference between NT and Down syndrome screening for pregnancy test?

Both NT screening and Down syndrome screening are used to understand the health of the fetus, so both examination methods can screen the health of the fetus at an early stage.

NT screening refers to the thickness of the nuchal translucency and the serum test of pregnant women. The nuchal translucency refers to the space where water accumulates under the skin behind the fetus' neck. During an ultrasound scan, the doctor will measure the thickness of the space between the skin and tissue in detail. The nuchal translucency will be significantly thickened in fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities, especially in babies with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome is usually more likely to occur in older mothers. Medical literature has confirmed that the thicker the nuchal translucency of the fetus, the higher the chance of chromosomal abnormalities. NT screening is performed between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Checkup

Pregnancy check-up refers to a special check-up for women during pregnancy. It mainly includes height, weight, blood pressure measurement, abdominal circumference, gynecological internal examination, breast examination, external pelvic measurement, blood type, anemia test, electrocardiogram, syphilis serological reaction test, etc., which helps to understand whether the fetus is healthy.

Pregnancy check-up schedule

1. Take the first pregnancy test around 12 weeks (three months):

File creation: Go to the hospital at this time to create a "pregnant health handbook" file, and each pregnancy test result will be recorded in it for future reference. The main items of this examination include: weight and blood pressure measurement; doctor's consultation; B-ultrasound examination (mainly to listen to the fetal heart rate, rule out ectopic pregnancy and calculate the size of the fetus); urine test; examination of other parts of the body; blood draw; check the size of the uterus; fetal nuchal translucency screening (mainly to assess the possibility of the baby suffering from Down syndrome).

2. Second prenatal checkup at 13-16 weeks

Down syndrome screening: Starting from the second prenatal checkup, the basic rational examinations that expectant mothers must undergo every time include: weighing; measuring blood pressure; urine test; measuring uterine height; abdominal circumference; questioning and observing the baby's fetal heart rate and comparing with the last test report, etc.

3. Third prenatal checkup between 17 and 20 weeks

Basic examination: This stage mainly involves some routine basic examinations, but B-ultrasound at this time can more accurately determine the gender of the fetus. Pregnant women at this stage should pay attention to a balanced diet to avoid gaining too much or too little weight; most pregnant women begin to get leg cramps easily at this stage, so they must supplement calcium and iron in time; in order to make the pregnancy process smoother, you can start doing some simple gymnastics every day.

4. Fourth prenatal checkup at 21-24 weeks

Gestational diabetes screening: Most gestational diabetes tests are done during the 24th week of pregnancy. The hospital will ask the expectant mother to drink 50 grams of glucose water first, and then do a blood test one hour later.

Anemia is more likely to occur after the middle stage, so it is recommended to eat more foods rich in iron. Such as liver, spinach, raisins, oysters, eggs, etc. At the same time, pay attention to the fetal movement. If you have time, you can record the number of times in detail for reference by medical staff.

5. Fifth prenatal checkup at 25-28 weeks

Hepatitis B antigen, syphilis serum test, German measles: The most important thing at this stage is to draw blood from the expectant mother to check for hepatitis B, syphilis, etc. Pregnant women should pay more attention to the intake of sugar and salt in their diet. At the same time, you should learn more about pregnancy and childbirth, and pay attention to symptoms of bleeding and abdominal pain at all times, so as to detect emergency premature birth and other situations as early as possible.