Fetal Screening Procedures Flashcards
Discuss Fetal Anomaly Screening as a fetal screening procedure.
Fetal anomaly screening - 20-week anomaly scan offered to pregnant women - uses ultrasound, to create pictures of the baby inside the mother’s womb.
It helps detect structural abnormalities, such as heart defects, neural tube defects, or limb deformities, by visualizing organs and structures in real-time - the scan examines heart, brain, spine, limbs, and internal organs – identifies anomalies that may require further investigation/management.
Discuss Maternal Serum Screening as a fetal screening procedure.
Maternal Serum Screening - combination of blood tests, known as the Integrated Test, to assess the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.
This screening is performed between 10 and 14 weeks of pregnancy - involves measuring pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and hCG in blood - these substances provide physiological markers that help assess risk of conditions like Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome.
Discuss Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing.
NIPT - screening option for pregnant women with increased risk of certain chromosomal abnormalities - this test analyzes cell-free fetal DNA in the mother’s blood to detect conditions such as Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome etc.
Discuss Fetal Electrocardiography (ECG).
Fetal Electrocardiography (ECG) - technique used to assess the electrical activity of the fetal heart - involves placing electrodes on the mother’s abdomen to record the fetal heart rate and rhythm - can provide information about the fetal cardiac function, detecting abnormalities such as arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats.
