Patient's question:
At 120 days of pregnancy, blood test, age 28After having blood drawn for testing, I was informed by the doctor that I am at high risk for neural tube defects. Although I had another ultrasound done, the hospital said they didn't see anything abnormal, but I still can't help but worry. Now I'm 220 days pregnant, and I'm almost restless every day. What should I do? Please reply as soon as possible. Thank you!! Is AFP related to age?
Test results
Item OD value MOM value
AFP 0.429 2.64
HCG 0.172 1.8
Doctor's answer:
Neural tube defects, also known as neural tube abnormalities, are a serious congenital malformation disease. The neural tube is the central nervous system of the fetus. Asymptomatic spina bifida does not require treatment. The general principles of surgical treatment for spinal bifida include cyst resection, nerve decompression, repositioning of the protruding nerve tissue into the spinal canal, and repair of soft tissue defects.Neurological injuries: Neurological injuries include sequelae of traumatic brain injury, cerebral arteriosclerosis (hemorrhagic stroke, thrombotic stroke), post-infectious encephalitis and meningitis, demyelinating diseases, and other sequelae of cerebrovascular diseases.
The main methods for prenatal diagnosis are as follows:
1. Perform examinations.
2. Ultrasound diagnosis, particularly the use of B-mode ultrasound scanners, can provide relatively accurate answers regarding fetal viability, gestational age,, amniotic fluid volume, and whether the fetus is malformed.
3. Amniotic fluid diagnosis: Between the 16th and 21st weeks of pregnancy, amniotic fluid can be obtained through transabdominal amniocentesis for analysis of its various components.
4. Blood and urine tests for the pregnant woman: In normal pregnancies, small amounts of fetal blood cells, metabolic products, and proteins can pass through the placenta into the maternal bloodstream. Therefore, testing the mother's blood and urine can diagnose certain genetic diseases in the fetus. A four-dimensional color ultrasound is performed between 20 and 28 weeks to rule out fetal malformations.
Specific treatment methods still need to be confirmed at a formal, top-tier hospital before making any other decisions.