Why can't twins be screened for Down syndrome?

Having twins is supposed to be a very happy thing, but for many expectant mothers, it is indeed quite painful. First of all, when it comes to some examinations, mothers of twins may not be able to do them, and can only do some examinations that are more suitable for mothers of twins. In particular, Down syndrome screening is easily rejected. So let us take a look at whether twins can be examined and what is the definition of Down syndrome screening.

Why do we need Down syndrome screening?

1. Inspection significance

Down syndrome screening is aimed at specific people who do not have any corresponding disease indicators (such as all pregnant women). Through examination, high-risk groups with a higher possibility of Down syndrome are screened out for subsequent diagnostic examinations. There is currently no medical cure for Down syndrome, so the main approach to controlling the occurrence of Down syndrome is to prevent or reduce the birth of children with the disease. But one thing that needs to be made clear is that the purpose of screening is not to diagnose a certain disease, but to screen out people who are more likely to have a certain disease.

2. Necessity

Any pregnant woman has the potential to conceive a baby with Down syndrome. "According to the results of the Ministry of Health's hospital-based birth defect monitoring from 2001 to 2006, 800,000 to 1.2 million children with birth defects are born in my country every year." Down syndrome screening is a general survey conducted on all pregnant women in my country to prevent the birth of children with congenital mental retardation.

From a medical perspective, Down syndrome screening is very necessary and expectant mothers must pay enough attention to it. Down syndrome screening can reduce the birth rate of children with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome will suffer from severe multiple congenital malformations (special facial features, congenital heart disease, major organ dysfunction and limb abnormalities), accompanied by severe mental retardation and are basically unable to take care of themselves. Most children die before they reach adulthood. Therefore, in order to prevent the birth of children with congenital idiocy and to achieve early detection and early resolution, prenatal Down syndrome screening is very important. Data show that "through strict quality-controlled early pregnancy NT screening, the detection rate for trisomy 21 fetuses can exceed 80%, and the detection rate for other chromosomal abnormalities can exceed 70%. If combined with maternal serum testing, the detection rate can be further improved."