What tests are available before a baby is born (prenatal testing)?
Prenatal testing can be divided into two different areas. Diagnostic tests provide a definitive answer and can confirm a suspected diagnosis. Screening tests are tools by which we see if a pregnancy is at increased risk. Screening tests are not diagnostic, but can help to determine if additional testing might be made available to a family. PRENATAL SCREENING TESTS INCLUDE: • Ultrasound examination ultrasonographic evaluation which looks at the structural growth and development of the fetus • Maternal serum screening tests which include multiple marker screening . These tests are performed by obtaining a blood sample from the mother, at a specific gestational age. Measurements of specific chemicals in the blood, along with the age of the mother as well as other factors can provide a statistical risk calculation for Down syndrome, Trisomy 18 and neural tube defects. Currently, multiple marker screening does not screen for Trisomy 13. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS INCLUDE: • Amniocentesis- is usually
