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Nuchal translucency measurement is one of the important tests during pregnancy to determine the baby's risk of Down syndrome. So when the test results show that high nuchal translucency is dangerous and what is the cause of high nuchal translucency in children? The following article will help pregnant mothers have more understanding regarding the nuchal translucency of the baby.
1. Learn about the concept of nuchal translucency in the fetus
During pregnancy, pregnant women will constantly approach new concepts and terms in Medicine related to both mother and fetus in the womb. Among them, the concept of nuchal translucency is an important issue through which some birth defects can be predicted and at the same time provide appropriate and timely medical intervention directions. .
Nuchal translucency is understood as the accumulation of fluid in the skin area located at the back of the fetal neck. The measurement of the nuchal translucency of the fetus, combined with the examination of the nasal bones and some other indicators will act as general factors to consider the possibility of having Down syndrome in the child.
2. What is the nuchal translucency measurement for and when?
Nuchal translucency test is usually performed around the first trimester (first 3 months) of pregnancy, ranging from week 11 to week 13. The reason why nuchal translucency measurement is necessary at this time. This is because:
If the test is done too early (before 11 weeks of pregnancy), the skin on the nape of the neck will be relatively translucent, making the results inaccurate. If nuchal translucency is performed too late when the fetus is past 14 weeks, the nuchal translucency results will return to normal, thus making diagnosis difficult. To conduct a nuchal translucency test, ultrasound is a necessary measure. In this test, the obstetrician will apply a cold gel to the abdomen and, using a hand-held probe, move it gradually throughout the abdominal skin. When performing an ultrasound, pregnant women will feel the pressure of the transducer on the abdomen, but it does not cause damage or invasion. In case the pregnant woman has a tilted uterus or tends to be overweight, an ultrasound will be conducted in the vaginal area to ensure more accurate results.
For nuchal translucency, the doctor will first measure the full size from the beginning to the end of the fetal spine, and then start measuring the nuchal translucency. To make it easier to see, the white part shown on the ultrasound screen is the baby's skin, and the black part is the fluid that accumulates on the back of the baby's nape. The nuchal translucency of the fetus is not fixed but will become thicker over time. Therefore, doctors will combine the nuchal translucency factor and the age of the fetus to have the most appropriate diagnosis.
Các nguyên nhân độ mờ da gáy cao được chẩn đoán xác định bởi bác sĩ chuyên khoa
3. What is high nuchal translucency?
The results of the nuchal translucency index will be available immediately after the ultrasound process is over. According to obstetricians, nuchal translucency can be divided into several ranges from safe to dangerous:
Fetuses with a nuchal translucency index lower than 1.3mm have a very low risk of Down syndrome. Nuchal translucency lower than 2.5mm is considered a safe range. When the nuchal translucency is high from 2.5mm to 6mm, doctors need to add the results of other indicators to draw conclusions. When the nuchal translucency is over 6mm, the fetus has a high chance of having Down syndrome and many other birth defects. According to the researchers, when the nuchal translucency is high, this is a reaction that the accumulation of fluid behind the neck area is increasing significantly due to certain causes in the fetus. The higher the index, the higher the risk of malformations, because chromosomal abnormalities are associated with a variety of structural abnormalities of the body, such as heart defects.
4. Answers from experts: what are the causes of high nuchal translucency?
The causes of high nuchal translucency have been synthesized into 4 main factors, including:
Maternal age: the older a woman is, the more likely the fetus will have high nuchal translucency and along with the risk of birth defects as well as Down syndrome. In particular, for Down syndrome, there is a 1/30 chance of the fetus having the disease when the mother is pregnant at the age of 45, while this number for a mother of 20 years old is 1 in 1600 - a very different difference. significantly. Due to genetics: high nuchal translucency can completely be related to genetic factors in the family. Undesirable effects when using drugs: Some drugs to treat viral and bacterial diseases when taken in the early stages of pregnancy can seriously affect the fetus. Polluted and toxic environment: If pregnant women are often exposed to environments with lots of dust, harmful chemicals and radiation, they will have a negative impact on the development of the fetus, leading to the risk of pregnancy. Down syndrome and many other malformations.
Độ tuổi mang thai của người mẹ là một trong các nguyên nhân độ mờ da gáy cao
5. Is high nuchal translucency dangerous and possible birth defects?
High nuchal translucency is extremely dangerous to the unborn baby and can be a sign of a range of problems:
Down syndrome: this is the most common problem of high nuchal translucency, occurring. Due to the excess of chromosome 21, the gene structure is out of balance, causing the child to be born with both physical and mental defects. Cardiovascular problems: many congenital cardiovascular diseases such as aortic stenosis, heart damage, heart defects, tricuspid valve stenosis... are likely to occur if the child has nuchal translucency. high. Congenital fetal malformations: eg, split spine, cleft palate, cleft palate... Stillbirth: when the nuchal translucency is too high, the fetus has a high chance of stillbirth and miscarriage in It can be said that high nuchal translucency comes from many different causes, but all are extremely bad signs that warn of possible problems in the fetus, especially Down syndrome. . Therefore, pregnant women need to have this index checked regularly in the first 3 months of pregnancy and have medical intervention if necessary.
During the first 3 months of pregnancy, the most important thing for pregnant women to do is to measure nuchal translucency. From the measured results, the doctors will give the best self-examination and advice for pregnant women to ensure the health of both mother and baby. In addition, during this period, to ensure the health of both mother and baby in addition to measuring nuchal translucency, pregnant mothers need to pay attention to:
Understand early signs of pregnancy, pregnancy poisoning, blood in pregnancy. Timely, correct and sufficient first prenatal check-up, avoiding too early/too late. Fetal malformation screening at 12 weeks detects dangerous fetal malformations that can be intervened early. Differentiate between normal vaginal bleeding and pathological vaginal bleeding for timely intervention to maintain pregnancy. Screening for thyroid disease in the first 3 months of pregnancy avoids dangerous risks before and during delivery. Vinmec currently has many maternity packages (12-27-36 weeks), in which the 12-week maternity package helps monitor the health of mother and baby right from the beginning of pregnancy, early detection and timely intervention of health issues. In addition to the usual services, the maternity monitoring program from 12 weeks has special services that other maternity packages do not have such as: Double Test or Triple Test to screen for fetal malformations; Quantitative angiogenesis factor test for preeclampsia; thyroid screening test; Rubella test; Testing for parasites transmitted from mother to child seriously affects the baby's brain and physical development after birth.
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