Here are some things you may need to consider when deciding to perform a prenatal screening test:
Do you want to know if you baby may have Down Syndrome, trisomy 18, or open neural tube defect, and/or some other problem?
How will this information affect your feelings throughout your pregnancy
If a screen test comes back positive will you follow up with an amniocentisis to confirm the results?
If the test is positive, will you want to terminate the pregnancy, plan for adoption or prepare for a specials needs child?
Other things to consider:
screening tests will find most babies with Down Syndrome, trisomy 18 or open neural tube defects, but not all.
Screening tests will not find every kind of birth defect, no test can do this.
Quad Screen
Preformed at: 16 – 20 weeks
Tests for: Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, Open neural tube defect
Pros Cons
not invasive preformed late in pregnancy
72- 75% accurate
Serum Integrated Pregnancy Screening (SIPS)
Preformed at: 12 weeks and 16 – 20 weeks
Tests for: Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, Open neural tube defect
Pros Cons
not invasive results late in pregnancy
82- 84% accurate
Nucheal Transluency Test (NT) (combined with blood tests) (IPS)
Preformed at: 11- 13 weeks
Tests for: Down syndrome (DS) and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems
Pros Cons
not invasive 88% accurate
preformed early in pregnancy expensive if preformed in a private clinic about $700.00
Chronic Villi Sampling (CVS)
Preformed at: 11-12 weeks
Tests for: chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and sex chromosome abnormalities (such as Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome)
Pros Cons
99% accurate risk of miscarriage during procedure
preformed early in pregnancy can not detect neural tube defects
Amniocentesis
Preformed at : 16 – 20 weeks
Tests for: chromosomal disorders, including Down syndrome, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and sex chromosome abnormalities (such as Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome). Several hundred genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and Tay-Sachs disease. The test is not used to look for all of them, but if your baby is at increased risk for one or more of these disorders, amniocentesis can usually tell you whether he has the disease. Neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.
Pros Cons
99% accurate risk of miscarriage
tests for many disorders and defects preformed late in pregnancy
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