antenatal & postnatal screening

Question 1

what is antenatal screening

Answer 1

Antenatal screening identifies the risk of a
disorder so that further tests and a prenatal
diagnosis can be offered

Question 2

pregnant women are given 2 ultrasound scans;
1. dating scans

Answer 2

determine pregnancy stage and due date, are used with tests for marker chemicals, which vary normally
during pregnancy.
dating scan takes place between 8 and 14 weeks.

Question 3

pregnant women are given 2 ultrasound scans;
2. anomaly

Answer 3

anomaly scans detect serious physical abnormalities in the fetus.
takes place between 18 and 20 weeks

Question 4

blood and urine tests

Answer 4

routine blood & urine tests are carried throughout the pregnancy to monitor the concentration of chemical markers.
Measuring the chemical at the wrong time can give a false positive.
An
atypical chemical concentration can lead to
diagnostic testing to determine if the fetus
has a medical condition.

Question 5

diagnostic testing
1. CVS ~ Chorionic villus sampling

Answer 5

CVS can be carried out in earlier pregnancies compared to amniocentesis, but it has a higher risk of miscarriage.

tests a sample of cells from the mother’s placenta for genetic disorders.

8 weeks

Question 6

diagnostic testing
2. amniocentesis

Answer 6

used a small amount of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac surrounding the foetus to check for genetic disorders