What should you pay attention to the day before doing Down syndrome screening?

There are some changes every day during pregnancy. The fetus grows up little by little while the pregnant woman is looking forward to it. When the pregnancy reaches 15 weeks, the Down syndrome screening test should be done. Down syndrome screening mainly checks the probability of the fetus suffering from glandular malformations. It is a necessary pregnancy test. As people pay more attention to Down syndrome screening, they pay more and more attention to the importance of this test.

What should you pay attention to the day before doing Down syndrome screening?

1. The Down syndrome screening test requires blood drawing, so mothers need to fast before the test. It is best not to eat after 10 pm the night before the test, so that the test results will be more accurate.

2. It is best to choose around 8 o'clock in the morning for the examination. Go to the hospital early to avoid the peak period of examination. Complete the examination early so as not to starve the mother and the baby in the belly.

3. Down syndrome screening generally requires drawing about 4 small tubes of blood. Mothers do not need to be too nervous. Drawing blood is not painful. It is the same as the needle for an IV drip. Mothers just need to relax and the results will be available in about 3 working days.

4. The test results are basically acceptable. Only a very small number of women with a family history of genetic diseases may have high-risk results. However, high-risk does not mean that the baby is unhealthy. Further screening is required. Most high-risk pregnant women have healthy babies after screening, so mothers do not need to worry too much.

Misconceptions about Down syndrome screening

Myth 1

Many pregnant mothers believe that as long as they pass the Down syndrome screening test, it proves that the baby in their belly will not have any problems and will not suffer from Down syndrome. In fact, this idea is incorrect. Because the Down syndrome screening test has been passed, it only means that the pregnant mother’s chance of having a baby with Down syndrome is relatively low, but it cannot rule out the possibility. In real life, many children with Down syndrome are born to pregnant mothers who have passed the Down syndrome screening. Therefore, after passing the Down syndrome screening, pregnant mothers should not take it lightly. If a pregnant mother experiences excessive amniotic fluid or slow fetal growth in the future, she should also be careful, as it is likely that the baby will be Down syndrome.

Myth 2

Perhaps influenced by other examinations in daily life, many pregnant mothers believe that they should not eat or drink water the night before doing a Down syndrome screening test. Down syndrome screening can be done randomly at any time and there is no restriction on diet. The only requirement is not to drink sweet drinks or eat too sweet foods. To do the Down syndrome screening test, you are required to fast for 8 hours and have your fasting blood sugar tested before 10 am. Therefore, you do not need to stop eating and drinking water the night before the examination. You can just fast on the day of the examination.

Myth 3

Many pregnant mothers believe that Down syndrome screening is of little use and cannot accurately help pregnant mothers determine whether the fetus is a Down syndrome baby. Therefore, many people choose not to have this test at all. However, Down syndrome screening is now the most economical and simplest way to determine whether the fetus is a Down syndrome child. And it still has a certain effect. If you don't do a Down syndrome screening test, you will have to do amniocentesis, but there are great risks in doing amniocentesis.