Patient's question:
What does a positive reaction for cytomegalovirus IgG antibody mean after pregnancy? Does it affect the fetus? At 173 weeks of pregnancy, I had the Down syndrome test. The risk rate for Down syndrome was 1:275. Is this risk rate particularly high?Doctor's answer:
Mid-pregnancy screening for Down syndrome also includes blood screening and ultrasound screening, and should not be understood as merely a blood test for "Down syndrome screening." A standalone blood test for Down syndrome screening is a supplementary test after missing early screening and is highly unreliable. Therefore, it is recommended that all mothers undergoing this screening method first undergo ultrasound to determine their gestational age. If the actual gestational age is not accurately calculated, how can accurate risk assessment be achieved? Additionally, the method of blood testing should be considered. The internationally standard method is time-resolved immunofluorescence, while the commonly used method in China is chemiluminescence. The former is 1,000 times more accurate than the latter.Finally, expectant mothers must remember this: It is essential to undergo ultrasound screening for fetal anomalies before deciding whether to proceed with amniocentesis or umbilical cord blood sampling. Although ultrasound cannot diagnose Down syndrome, most Down syndrome children exhibit ultrasound findings. Only after all tests are completed should the decision to proceed with amniocentesis be made. To undergo amniocentesis based solely on blood screening for Down syndrome is truly unjust!
For those older mothers, once labeled as high-risk due to age, they are often told they are at high risk... In reality, if no abnormalities are found after ultrasound screening, you are already part of the low-risk population.