Pregnancy Testing What To Expect

Many women expect to undergo many physical examinations and testing while pregnant. It is useful to have a guide for many of the more common testing that they may be asked to undergo during the pregnancy so that they can be aware of the benefits of each one before having to endure the test.

The purpose of prenatal testing is to provide valuable information to the doctor or the parents-to-be regarding the health of the unborn baby so that the best care possible can be given and so that if there is a health concern that can be corrected in utero there will be time to do so in order to give the baby a better quality of life after he or she is born. Pregnant women who are age 35 or older are at higher risk for having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities and are therefore offered prenatal testing outside of the usual general pregnancy tests. If there is a family history of any inherited condition such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or others the woman will be given the option to have additional prenatal tests. If the pregnant woman's or her spouse/partner has ancestry or ethnic background that may include a higher risk for inherited disorders such as thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, or Tay-Sachs disease, additional prenatal testing will be recommended. The amniocentesis and the CVS testing are becoming more commonplace testing to be done but both carry some degree of risk to the fetus and should be discussed in length before the tests are done.

Some general pregnancy testing includes blood and urine tests, a blood test specifically for Rh factor determination, paternity testing if relevant, and ultrasound scans depending on need.

During the first trimester of pregnancy common testing includes chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and a first trimester blood-screening test that evaluates for specific chromosomal abnormalities including Down's syndrome trisomy-21 and trisomy-18. There is a portion of this test called the "nuchal translucency", which can identify cardiac disorders, and significant fetal abnormalities.

During the second trimester of pregnancy amniocentesis is offered typically for women over age 35 and those with health concerns or as recommended by the doctor. Amniocentesis does carry some risk to the fetus so the benefits and risks should be explained and weighted carefully before this test is undertaken. Other second trimester testing includes the cordocentesis: percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS), the maternal serum Alpha-Fetoprotein screening (MSAFP), the triple screen test: multiple marker screen, and the quad screen test.

During the third trimester of pregnancy common pregnancy testing includes the biophysical profile (BPP), the fetal non-stress test (NST) which the woman may need to have more than one of, a glucose challenge screening & glucose tolerance test (NST) which sometimes is repeated depending on the results, and a group B strep infection test.

The pregnant woman should expect that her doctor, midwife or other medical professional should explain in full all the details of each test, what the benefits and risks are for taking the test and if the test is invasive what the procedure entails with a full explanation as to why the test is necessary, a full accounting of the risks and also the benefits for having the test done during the pregnancy as opposed to waiting until the birth of the baby (if the test if for the health of the baby).

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