Prenatal Testing
Getting the Best for Your Baby
Anticipating a baby’s birth can be the most exhilarating time in a woman’s life. Every mommy-to-be wants the best for her baby, and receiving proper medical care, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining an exercise program are all crucial parts of a healthy pregnancy. Another key component to a healthy pregnancy is prenatal testing.
Before trying to conceive a baby, some couples may want to consider preconceptual counseling to determine if they have risk factors for diseases such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease. A blood test can confirm if a person is a carrier of these diseases. A couple can then make an informed decision regarding their risks of having children. In addition, a pre-pregnancy visit with your physician can help identify nutritional and other changes a woman needs to make to assure she’s prepared for pregnancy.
Prenatal testing can encompass a wide variety of screenings and diagnostic tests. The tests can range from a simple blood test to specific genetic testing for rare disorders. Most women will undergo some form of prenatal testing during the course of their pregnancy to detect the possibility of complications.
Prenatal tests fall into two categories: screening and diagnostic. Maternal blood tests and basic ultrasound examinations are screening tests. These tests aid doctors in identifying babies at risk for hereditary birth defects or other conditions of unknown cause. Advanced ultrasounds and amniocentesis are examples of common diagnostic tests, which allow doctors to actually diagnose a medical condition in the fetus.
An ultrasound examination is a painless test that can be performed any time during a women’s pregnancy. This test can be one of the most anticipated tests during a woman’s pregnancy. With an ultrasound, a mother can “see” her baby before birth. In an ultrasound examination, a doctor or technician uses a device that produces high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the baby on a monitor screen. An ultrasound can reveal many structural abnormalities, and the results, seen on a monitor screen, are immediate. The exam is painless, with no risk to the mother or the baby, and can help alleviate a mother’s anxiety about her baby’s health.
Prenatal testing many women undergo is for the detection of chromosome abnormalities in the fetus, such ad Down Syndrome. These tests are risk assessments based on maternal blood tests and ultrasound information. The most commonly utilized tests are the second trimester screening which involved the routine “basic” ultrasound, between the 18th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, and the quad test. There also exists the older triple test and the newer maternal serum 5.
A recently available advance in medicine is the first trimester screening. This involves an ultrasound measurement of the back of the baby’s neck between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy and evaluation of certain markers present in a mother’s blood. The first trimester screening is usually more accurate than the second trimester screening. If the assessed risk is higher than expected in the first trimester result, the second trimester test can be performed and integrated with the first trimester data to allow parents to decide as to whether or not they would proceed with an amniocentesis.
In amniocentesis, a narrow gauge needle is used to detect chromosome abnormalities, genetic disorders, and in some cases, certain infections. In addition, the test can be given to determine if a baby’s lungs are developed sufficiently to allow the baby to breathe on its own. Amniocentesis is usually administered after the 15th week of pregnancy, or in the case of testing lung development, shortly before birth. In amniocentesis, a narrow gauge is inserted into the mother’s uterus to draw a small amount of amniotic fluid to test. The baby’s safety is monitored with an ultrasound. Test results may take two weeks or longer. Amniocentesis does carry a slight risk of miscarriage, and the mother can experience minor side effects, such as cramping, leakage of fluid, and minor irritation around the needle site.
Prenatal testing can provide reassurance of fetal health for the mother and her physician. It should be noted that not all women need prenatal tests during their pregnancies to have a healthy baby. Most of these tests are offered and not required. In addition, screening and diagnostic tests cannot reveal all potential problems. A woman should discuss the issue of prenatal tests with her physician. Nevertheless, prenatal tests can supply a woman with important information about her pregnancy and help her provide the best foundation for her baby’s birth.