Down syndrome screening value is high

Many pregnant women will find that their index is high after completing the Down syndrome screening. In this case, they need to pay attention and must undergo further examinations to know whether the fetus in their belly is really suffering from this disease. Once confirmed, it is best not to continue the pregnancy, because doing so will increase the probability of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome screening is mainly for screening Down syndrome, that is, to check whether the baby will be a congenitally stupid Down syndrome baby, mainly checking alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and free estriol.

Fetuses with Down syndrome are not exclusive to older pregnant women. Although older pregnant women over 35 years old are closely related to Down syndrome, the older the age, the greater the chance of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome. However, young women may also give birth to children with Down syndrome, and only 20% of Down syndrome occurs in older pregnant women, while the other 80% of Down syndrome fetuses are born to young pregnant women under 35 years old. Therefore, if only older pregnant women are examined, it will not be a good way to prevent Down syndrome.

On the other hand, if all pregnant women undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, not only will the cost be higher, but it will also increase the chance of miscarriage, so it is not necessary for all women to undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Currently, the best way to prevent Down syndrome is that all young pregnant women undergo Down syndrome screening tests, and those who are shown to be at high risk undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, it can be determined whether the fetal chromosomes are normal and whether the fetus has Down syndrome.

Down syndrome screening requires drawing a tube of venous blood from the pregnant mother. The risk factor of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome is calculated by testing the concentration of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the maternal serum and combining the pregnant woman's due date, age, weight and gestational age at the time of blood collection. Pregnant mothers can usually get the test results one week after the blood is drawn.

Fasting is not required for Down syndrome screening. Although Down syndrome screening is done through blood drawing, it is mainly to check whether the fetus has any deformities, which is different from blood drawing for liver function tests and other items. Therefore, there is no requirement for fasting for Down syndrome screening.