It is important for pregnant women and fetuses to undergo Down syndrome screening, as the screening results can determine whether the fetus has Down syndrome and whether there are congenital intellectual disabilities. Pregnant women must undergo Down syndrome screening at a certain gestational age to avoid unnecessary risks. So, is Down syndrome screening accurate for gestational age?
The best time to undergo Down syndrome screening is 15-20 weeks of pregnancy. Generally, doctors recommend doing Down syndrome screening during this period. However, due to the different examination results in different hospitals, the specific time for Down syndrome screening needs to be notified by the hospital. Tang screening needs to take into account the gestational age, weight, and other factors of the pregnant woman in order to make a judgment. Therefore, Tang screening should display the gestational age accurately. This stage of examination can predict whether the fetus is a congenital idiot. Simply put, Tang screening is to some extent to avoid the risk of fetal malformation.
If the result of the Down syndrome screening for pregnant women is "high-risk", it is necessary to further confirm whether the fetus is a child with Down syndrome. Currently, hospitals use amniocentesis technology, which is suitable for pregnant women at 16-20 weeks of gestation. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the needle is inserted into the amniotic fluid through the pregnant woman's abdomen, the amniotic fluid is extracted, and the fetal cells are analyzed for chromosomes.
Some pregnant women and their families have doubts about amniocentesis and are concerned about its safety, but according to statistical data, this technique only causes a miscarriage rate of 0.5%. In addition to amniocentesis, current prenatal diagnostic techniques also include chorionic villus biopsy, fetal endoscopy, and fetal umbilical vein puncture.
