Is it still accurate to do nt test at 14 weeks?

Pregnant women are very concerned about the health of the fetus during pregnancy, but any condition of the fetus in the belly cannot be known in time, so it is necessary to take measures to exclude fetal abnormalities at the appropriate time, and NT is a very important one. So, is the 14-week nt test too late?

The first fetal abnormality screening for pregnant women is the NT test, which is mainly to rule out cerebral palsy in the fetus. It needs to be carried out during the fetal head growth period, and the best time is 11-12 weeks of pregnancy, when the test accuracy can reach 90%. The change of Nt is closely related to the number of weeks of pregnancy, and there are strict requirements for the time of accurately measuring thickness. If it exceeds 14 weeks, some fluid will be absorbed by the fetus's lymphatic system and the test results will be inaccurate.

It is necessary to make an appointment in advance for NT examination. It does not mean that you can go to the hospital for NT examination immediately when you are 11 or 12 weeks pregnant. Generally, hospital outpatient clinics need to be booked more than ten days in advance, and if it is a hospital outpatient clinic with a large number of consultations, it will take a month or more in advance to book a time for NT. Therefore, pregnant women should not worry about whether it is 11 weeks or 12 weeks, as this may often delay the best time for examination.

When is the best time to do NT test?

1. Because the fetus is too small to observe the nuchal translucency before 11 weeks of pregnancy, and the fetus gradually grows and develops after 14 weeks of pregnancy, it may absorb unnecessary blood from the nuchal translucency and affect the test results. Therefore, it is best for pregnant women to do NT within 11-14 weeks of pregnancy to avoid inaccurate test results.

2. The nuchal translucency scan is usually performed between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. It is technically difficult to perform an NT test before 11 weeks because the fetus is still very small at this time. After 14 weeks, the water stored in the fetus's subcutaneous tissue may be absorbed by the developing lymphatic system, making it impossible to obtain accurate test data. Therefore, pregnant women need to go to the hospital for NT examination within 11-14 weeks of pregnancy. Generally, a nuchal translucency scanner can be performed in a tertiary hospital or a large specialized gynecological hospital.

In short, you should not have the mentality of delaying any examination during pregnancy. If you delay, the test results may be inaccurate. If the fetus is really deformed, the time to take effective measures will be lost.