How long does the NT test take?

After a woman becomes pregnant, she needs to have regular prenatal checkups according to the baby's development in different stages of pregnancy. Different prenatal checkup items are also a guarantee for the normal growth and development of the fetus. Among them, when the fetal growth and development is near the end of the early stage, there will be an NT test. This test is the first check of the actual position of the fetus, which is the size of the nuchal translucency. So, how long will the NT test for pregnant women take?

How long does it take for a pregnant woman to have a NT test?

NT test is the abbreviation of nuchal translucency. It uses B-ultrasound to check for abnormalities in the genetic information of the fetus in early pregnancy. Generally speaking, the whole examination process can be completed in about ten minutes. However, some fetuses may not cooperate. In this case, the pregnant woman needs to change her body posture to cooperate with the examination, and the examination can be completed in about half an hour.

Why can NT test reflect abnormalities in the fetus' genetic information?

1. Before the lymphatic system of a normal fetus is established, a small amount of tissue fluid will accumulate in the neck lymphatic vessels, forming the nuchal translucency (NT). After 14 weeks, as the fetus's lymphatic system develops fully, the accumulated tissue fluid will flow back to the internal jugular vein, and the neck translucency will disappear.

2. If the fetus has genetic abnormalities, the flow of tissue fluid back will be hindered, causing excessive tissue fluid to accumulate under the neck. Under B-ultrasound, it can be seen that the neck transparent layer has become thicker, and sometimes even neck edema or neck cystic hygroma may occur. Therefore, doing NT testing in early pregnancy can timely deal with abnormalities in the fetal genetic information, so as to make further treatment or decide whether to terminate the pregnancy as soon as possible.

As the first examination item for abnormal growth and development of fetal body parts, NT is also one of the key examination items for detecting fetal malformations. Therefore, expectant mothers must pay attention to the time of NT examination and should not exceed it too much, otherwise it will easily affect the accuracy of the test results. At the same time, if the NT examination shows any situation that is not within the normal range, further screening is required.