How many months of pregnancy should I do Down syndrome screening

There are time requirements for the Down syndrome screening test. It cannot be done too early or too late, otherwise it may be a waste of time. If it is done too early, it will just be a waste of money, but if it is too late, it will not be a trivial matter. Everyone will ask, how many months of pregnancy is it better to do Down syndrome screening? You can see the following detailed introduction:

1. When should Down syndrome screening be done? - Three and a half to four and a half months of pregnancy

It is recommended that expectant mothers undergo Down syndrome screening in all hospitals between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. Doing it too early or too late will affect the accuracy of the test. Through Down syndrome screening, congenital diseases of the fetus can be detected as early as possible, thus avoiding acquired misfortunes. Testing within this time range can ensure that the Down syndrome screening results are more accurate. Whether it is early or late, it will affect the accuracy of the test results. If you miss the time range and cannot make up for the test, you can only do amniocentesis.

2. When should Down syndrome screening be done? - Harm to children with Down syndrome

Many expectant mothers are likely to have Down syndrome, but Down syndrome patients have severe intellectual disabilities, and may even be unable to take care of themselves. They are also accompanied by complex cardiovascular diseases and require long-term care from family members, which can cause huge mental and financial burdens on the family. Down syndrome screening can screen out 60-70% of Down syndrome patients. Women over 35 years old are considered older pregnant women and have a higher chance of having a baby with Down syndrome, but it does not mean that their fetuses must have problems. On the other hand, even if the test indexes are normal, it cannot guarantee that the fetus will definitely not get sick. If any abnormalities are found, you can further do amniocentesis.

3. When should Down syndrome screening be done? - Issues to pay attention to during the test

There is no need to fast for Down syndrome screening, just draw peripheral blood from the pregnant woman, but Down syndrome screening is related to the menstrual cycle, weight, height, exact gestational age, and gestational age. Generally speaking, the best time for Down syndrome screening is between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnant mothers should remember to make an appointment with their obstetrician for the examination.

Although many pregnant mothers have objections to Down syndrome screening, and although the results of Down syndrome screening cannot accurately determine whether the baby is mentally retarded, it is the most economical, simple and harmless test method for determining whether the fetus is mentally retarded. If the test results are abnormal, amniocentesis can be performed further. In our country, a baby with Down syndrome is born approximately every 20 minutes. Children with Down syndrome are completely unable to take care of themselves due to their severely low IQ, and they also suffer from multi-system complications that cannot be cured throughout their lives, thus bringing heavy mental and financial burdens to their families. I wish every pregnant mother to give birth to a healthy and smart baby!