What are the main items of Down syndrome screening for pregnant women?

The term Down syndrome screening is not unfamiliar to pregnant women. It is Down's

What are the new key items in Down syndrome screening?

All pregnant women are likely to have a baby with Down syndrome, and the older the pregnant mother is, the more likely she is to have a baby with Down syndrome. In order to prevent newborns from suffering from Down syndrome and ensure good birth and upbringing, every pregnant mother needs to undergo Down syndrome screening during pregnancy.

During the Down syndrome screening process, pregnant mothers will also have their blood cells tested for AFP, HCG, uE3, and Inhibin A. These tests can be used to detect whether the fetus suffers from NTD, namely neural tube defects, 18-trisomy and 13-trisomy syndrome. Pregnant mothers should go to the hospital for a blood test for Down syndrome screening one week before the pregnancy check-up. The results can be obtained when they go to the hospital for a pregnancy check-up one week later. If the screened blood cells are positive, a villus biopsy and amniotic fluid puncture are needed to diagnose whether the mother is pregnant with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome screening mainly involves the following tests. Generally, only four samples need to be collected for testing to get the results: venous blood test, color Doppler ultrasound examination of the thickness of the transparent membrane on the back of the pregnant mother's neck, and color Doppler ultrasound examination of alpha-fetoprotein, human gonadotropin, free estriol, and inhibin A. Doctors use the index values ​​of these items to combine with the pregnant mother's menstrual status, weight, gestational age, height, etc. to determine the probability of a pregnant woman having a baby with Down syndrome. The accuracy of the test is extremely high.

At present, there are mainly two methods for Down syndrome screening in clinical medicine. One is prenatal diagnosis, and the other is minimally invasive DNA testing.

Frequently asked questions about Down syndrome screening

Pregnant mothers should go to bed early the day before the Down syndrome screening, and should not drink water from midnight, should not eat at night on the day of the test, and should go to the hospital for examination on an empty stomach in time. Before the examination, the doctor will ask the pregnant mother about her menstrual period, weight, gestational age, height, etc. The pregnant mother must tell the doctor truthfully after arriving at the hospital.

The above are the items that need to be checked for Down syndrome screening that the editor will introduce to you today. Friends who need it can make relevant preparations in advance, especially be sure to record their basic information. Down syndrome screening is usually done within 15 weeks of pregnancy, and sometimes it can be done a little later, but generally not more than 20 weeks.