What tests does prenatal screening include?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Le Hong Lien - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

1. Subjects needing prenatal screening

All pregnant women are on the list of needing to undergo prenatal screening tests, especially the following pregnant women:
Pregnant mother Pregnant mother is a person with weak health who has had to deal with stillbirth and miscarriage of unknown cause; Having a stressful mood often due to working in a toxic chemical environment, using many stimulants such as alcohol, beer, tobacco; During the first 3 months of pregnancy , flu , measles , chickenpox , mumps and rubella ; Family, relatives who have deformities, Agent Orange or have genetic diseases; Using antibiotics is contraindicated with pregnant women. Pregnant women have chronic medical conditions such as ; Diabetes, high blood pressure ... Specialist doctors recommend that regular and periodic antenatal care combined with prenatal screening are important measures to understand the development status of the fetus, assess the risks, detecting complications in pregnancy, as well as early and complete diagnosis of birth defects of the fetus, in order to have a safe birth plan and timely neonatal treatment for congenital defects. still have a chance to fix it.

2. What tests to do during prenatal screening

What tests does prenatal screening include? This is a question asked by many pregnant women. Today, there are many modern prenatal screening tests applied for pregnant women to choose from such as:
2.1 Ultrasound With the purpose of checking the development of the fetus and checking whether the fetus is pregnant or not. children with typical genetic diseases such as Down's disease. The fetus is also checked for heart defects, cystic fibrosis, and other developmental problems.
This test usually takes place in the first trimester, ie pregnant women from 1 to 3 months, can also be conducted as early as the 10th week of pregnancy. The pregnancy ultrasound also needs to be done periodically. period.
2.2 Double test During the first trimester, two types of blood tests called the circulating pooled screen and the serosynthetic screening test will be performed. The purpose is to measure the concentration of substances in the mother's blood.
During this blood test, the mother is also diagnosed with diseases such as syphilis, hepatitis B or HIV.
2.3 Triple test Taken during the second trimester and mainly as a substitute for people who do not have a Double test.
Triple test also helps to predict the possibility of birth defects in the fetus, but the accuracy rate is lower than the Double test.

2.4 Screening method NIPT - illumina Non-invasive prenatal screening method NIPT - illumina is the method chosen by many pregnant women in advanced countries. This is a method of analyzing the free fetal DNA in the mother's blood to screen for genetic syndromes for the fetus.
Perform NIPT test - illumina pregnant women do not need to repeat the test or perform any other screening methods. With 99.9% accuracy, NIPT - illumina provides accurate fetal health status.
With the outstanding advantage of being non-invasive, completely harmless to the fetus and can be performed as early as 8 weeks onwards, NIPT is recommended for high-risk subjects and performed regularly. regulated at Vinmec.
Fully complying with ILLUMINA's strict recommended standards, the NIPT non-invasive prenatal screening technique at Vinmec is considered the "key" to decode fetal malformations, bringing outstanding improvement in outcomes prenatal screening results. Analytical results will be available in about 1-2 weeks and will be evaluated by genetic pathologists at the Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology. Customers will be consulted specifically about possible risks, especially for false positive / negative cases to have appropriate intervention direction.
2.5 Amniocentesis Amniocentesis is usually performed after the 15th week of pregnancy. The mother may have to do this if:
Abnormal results from prenatal screening tests performed; Nuchal translucency ultrasound results > 3.5 mm The mother has a chromosomal abnormality possible in a previous pregnancy; Elderly mother; A family history of a specific genetic disorder. Doctors perform amniocentesis to take a sample of the amniotic fluid in the uterus for testing.
2.6 CVS test In case the fetus is diagnosed with a birth defect, the doctors may ask the mother to continue to perform the CSV test. Usually done between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.
A small tissue sample will be removed from the placenta and used to examine more closely the conditions that lead to the malformation.
2.7 Group B Streptococcus test The mother can have a group B strep test when the fetus is 35 to 37 weeks old.
Group B Streptococcus is a bacteria that can cause serious infections in pregnant women, especially this bacteria can cause serious infections in babies when exposed and found in the mouth, mother's throat, rectum, and vagina.

3. Notes for pregnant women when performing prenatal screening

In addition to paying attention to the best week for prenatal screening, pregnant women also need to note a few more points so that the screening results are not affected:
Learn and fully supplement knowledge about the method antenatal screening is about to be implemented; Prepare mentally ready and most comfortable; Choose a reputable medical facility to perform prenatal screening; Need to be calm, should not be too worried to take measures to take care of the fetus if the test results are positive for the risk of birth defects. Currently, there are many large medical facilities and hospitals that are capable of performing prenatal screening. However, for safe prenatal screening and the most accurate screening results, it is necessary to go to reputable medical facilities with modern testing equipment.
At Vinmec International General Hospital, there is a package maternity service as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team throughout the pregnancy. When choosing Maternity Package, pregnant women can:
The pregnancy process is monitored by a team of highly qualified doctors Regular check-ups, early detection of abnormalities The Package Maternity package helps to facilitate Convenience for the delivery process Newborns receive comprehensive care, Specialist I Le Hong Lien has been an obstetrician-gynecologist at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital since November 2016. Doctor Lien has over 10 years of experience as a radiologist in the Department of Ultrasound at the leading hospital in the field of obstetrics and gynecology in the South - Tu Du Hospital.

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