What does an early pregnancy blood test check?

There are actually 3-4 blood tests during pregnancy. The reason for blood tests in the early stages of pregnancy is to conduct six aspects of examination. Blood tests in early pregnancy mainly include routine blood tests, blood type tests, liver function tests, disease tests and Down syndrome screening. Of course, this test is not the final standard. Other tests will be performed in the middle and late stages of pregnancy to ensure the health and safety of the fetus and the mother.

Complete blood test

During the entire pregnancy, routine blood tests will be required approximately 3-4 times. Routine blood test is the most common and basic blood test, which tests the cellular part of the blood (including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). A routine blood test can determine whether the body has infection, anemia, or the possibility of blood disease. When the red blood cell and hemoglobin values ​​are lower than normal, anemia occurs. Mild anemia has little impact on pregnant women, but severe anemia may cause premature birth, low birth weight, etc. White blood cells play a role in eliminating pathogens in the body. If the white blood cell count exceeds the normal range, it means that the pregnant woman may be infected. Platelets play an important role in hemostasis. If a pregnant woman's platelet count is low, it will affect her coagulation function.

Blood typing

If the expectant father has type A, B or AB blood and the expectant mother has type O blood, then the baby may have ABO hemolytic disease. This is why prospective parents need to check their blood type. Secondly, among Asians, most have Rh positive blood type. If the Rh blood types of the man and woman are incompatible, hemolytic disease may also occur in the baby. When the expectant mother is Rh negative, the hospital must prepare Rh negative blood in advance. If an accident occurs during delivery, blood transfusion can be given in time.

Liver and kidney function tests

This test should be performed 2-3 times throughout the pregnancy. The main purpose is to check whether the expectant mother suffers from diseases such as hepatitis and nephritis. During pregnancy, the burden on the liver and kidneys increases. If the indicators exceed the normal range, it indicates that the expectant mother's liver and kidney functions are abnormal, and pregnancy will make the original disease "worse".

Syphilis test, HIV test, Hepatitis B two-pair half test, Hepatitis C virus test

During the pre-pregnancy check-up, these four tests are performed at the same time, so only one blood draw is required. (Sometimes it is necessary to test again during prenatal check-up). These four diseases can be transmitted to the baby through the placenta, so expectant mothers must pay attention to this examination! Among viral hepatitis, hepatitis B has the highest incidence rate. Hepatitis B patients have severe early pregnancy reactions and are prone to acute severe hepatitis, which can be life-threatening. Hepatitis C virus is the pathogen of hepatitis C. Most patients are asymptomatic, and only about a quarter of patients have fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Down syndrome screening

At 10-13 weeks, expectant mothers should undergo phase I Down syndrome screening; at 15-18 weeks, expectant mothers should undergo phase II Down syndrome screening. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disease that manifests as congenital idiocy. The incidence of Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother. Note: Down syndrome screening cannot confirm whether the baby has Down syndrome, but it shows the risk level of Down syndrome in the baby. If the Down syndrome screening results show that the fetus is at a higher risk of Down syndrome, further confirmatory tests such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling will be required.

Gestational diabetes screening

This test is usually performed by drawing blood between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnant women first measure their fasting blood sugar and then take 75g of glucose orally. Start timing from the first sip and draw blood for blood sugar test 1 hour later. If the blood sugar value is ≥7.8mmol, it is abnormal and further glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is required. At present, more and more expectant mothers have unqualified sugar screening results, mostly due to unreasonable diet structure of expectant mothers during pregnancy.