Fetal screening tests at Town Lab aim to check the health of the fetus and identify any potential risks or genetic disorders. These tests help doctors and parents make appropriate decisions regarding maternal and fetal healthcare.
Reasons for performing fetal screening tests:
Fetal health assessment: to ensure that the fetus is developing normally.
Detect congenital malformations: such as neural tube defects or structural defects.
Detection of genetic disorders: such as Down syndrome and other genetic conditions.
Assess the risk of miscarriage or other complications: Determine if there is an increased risk of pregnancy problems such as miscarriage or premature birth.
Tests required to examine the fetus:
Maternal blood screening: This includes checking the levels of certain hormones and proteins in the mother’s blood, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A).
Ultrasound: To evaluate the fetus’s physical structure and accurately determine the gestational age.
Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): Performed between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy to take samples of the chorionic villi to test for genetic diseases.
Amniocentesis: Performed after the 15th week of pregnancy to test the amniotic fluid to detect genetic disorders and chromosomal abnormalities.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT): A blood test to detect fetal DNA in the mother’s blood that can detect certain chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome.