Patient's question:
Pregnant for 18 weeks, have not done the Down syndrome screening yet. Planning to do the Down syndrome screening soon and would like to consult. Can I consume food and water before the Down syndrome screening?Doctor's answer:
For Down syndrome screening, you cannot consume food or water, so it's best to go to the hospital early. Down syndrome screening is a non-invasive test for the fetus, usually performed between the 14th and 18th weeks of pregnancy, with the best results. During the examination, only 2 milliliters of the's fasting venous blood needs to be extracted. About two weeks after the blood draw, the will receive the results. If the serum screening is positive, further amniocentesis is required to confirm the diagnosis and provide symptomatic treatment. At the same time, implementing Down syndrome screening can also detect whether the has neural tube defects, 18 body syndrome, or 13 body syndrome. Therefore, it is recommended to undergo Down syndrome screening as early as possible in the second trimester to rule out the possibility of fetal malformations.