Identify abnormal results when ultrasound nuchal translucency of the fetus

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Ta Quoc Ban - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital
Nuchal translucency is a very familiar phrase to all pregnant mothers, but not everyone fully understands its importance. During pregnancy, it is very important to have a test to measure nuchal translucency.

1. The importance of measuring nuchal translucency

The mandatory indicated time to perform nuchal translucency measurement is from 11-13 weeks 6 days of pregnancy. If performed outside this time period, the results will no longer be accurate.
The results of measuring nuchal translucency will help the doctor diagnose early the risk of the fetus having Down syndrome or not so that he can give the best advice and this is the basis for the doctor to decide whether the baby is pregnant or not. Do you need any more prenatal screening tests?
The higher the nuchal translucency, the higher the chance of the fetus having Down syndrome and the lower the nuchal translucency, the lower the chance of the fetus having Down syndrome.
The method of measuring nuchal translucency is accurate to 75% of the risk of the fetus having Down, so there are still cases where the mother is considered to be at high risk but gives birth to a healthy baby, this rate falls around 1/20 or 1/25 of the mother.

2. How is the nuchal translucency measurement result calculated?

Part of the risk of fetal malformations will be shown through the measurement of nuchal translucency. If the nuchal translucency is thickened, it may be associated with some malformations such as Down syndrome and some other abnormalities of the body structure such as congenital heart disease, congenital diaphragmatic hernia...
For If the fetus is between 45mm and 84mm, the nuchal translucency is less than 3.5mm, the fetus is considered to be developing normally with a low incidence of malformations. Increased nuchal translucency increases the incidence of Down syndrome as well as other chromosomal abnormalities.
Technique for measuring nuchal translucency:
Nuchal translucency: the image of a negative drum (essentially a translation) is located at the back of the neck, the upper limit can exceed the nape of the neck towards the skull, the lower limit extends to the back of the neck. pregnant. Physiological presence at week 10 to 14 Take measurements from week 11 to 13 weeks 6 days Buttock length: 45 mm

3. Identify abnormal results when ultrasound nuchal translucency of the fetus

Previously, when choosing a threshold of 3mm, some authors chose 2.5 for all embryos from 11-13 weeks 6 days. NT will increase according to CRL, it is necessary to compare NT with CRL to recognize abnormal NT increase. Called increased when NT > 95th percentile corresponding to CRL, the more dense the NT, the higher the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities

There are some malformations that are only detected during fetal ultrasound at 20 weeks, such as cleft palate, spine fracture... In some cases, nuchal translucency is within a dangerous threshold, but it is not certain that the baby has been diagnosed with the condition. If you have Down syndrome, or have a standard nuchal translucency, you can't be sure that your baby isn't born with Down syndrome, so you may want to have other tests done to get a more accurate result.
Nuchal translucency helps pregnant women to detect early risks of birth defects that may occur in the fetus. Doing this test is very necessary and really important. However, pregnant women should not be too alarmed when the nuchal translucency has abnormal results, need to see a doctor for advice as well as solutions to avoid adverse effects on their own health as well as the fetus. pediatric.
Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Package Maternity Care Program for pregnant women right from the first months of pregnancy with a full range of antenatal care visits, periodical 3D and 4D ultrasounds and routine tests to ensure that the mother is healthy and the fetus is developing comprehensively. Pregnant women will no longer be alone when entering labor because having a loved one to help them during childbirth always brings peace of mind and happiness.
Master. Doctor Ta Quoc Ban is formerly a Lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy - Thai Nguyen University, Doctor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Thai Nguyen Central General Hospital, Deputy Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Hospital of Medical University. The doctor has full practice certificates in the field of obstetrics and gynecology such as: Ultrasound, laparoscopic surgery, endoscopic and electrocautery, artificial insemination (IUI)...
Experienced and qualified Strong in the following fields:
Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Laparoscopic surgery in gynecology Prenatal counseling Gynecological examination and consultation Infertility examination and consultation, implementation of sperm injection technique into the uterus , Pre-vaccination screening and treatment of post-vaccination reactions...

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