Patient's question:
I am currently pregnant and during the prenatal check-up, it was said that there is a need for a Down syndrome screening. I don't know how much it costs to do the Down syndrome screening?Doctor's answer:
The Down syndrome screening is a scientific test to check how the fetus may have defects and is one of the essential examination items that expectant mothers must undergo during pregnancy. The Down syndrome screening involves extracting blood from the mother to test the levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), and free estriol (uE3) in the maternal serum. By combining these test results with the mother's weight, age at the time of the last menstrual period, and gestational age at the time of blood collection, the risk factor for giving birth to a child with congenital defects is estimated. The Down syndrome screening requires the expectant mother to fast before having her blood drawn for the test.