Patient's question:
Pregnant for more than three months, I plan to go to the hospital tomorrow for a Down syndrome screening, but I don't know if the prices are different and whether the results of the test will also be affected. So, I want to understand what the differences are between the cheaper Down syndrome screening options.Doctor's answer:
Down syndrome screening, as the name suggests, is the prenatal screening for Down syndrome fetuses. Experts use blood samples from pregnant women to screen for trisomy 21, which is an important indicator of fetal trisomy 21. The screening results can be used to estimate the risk of congenital intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome in the fetus. If the screening result is high-risk, further definitive testing—amniocentesis—is required. Down syndrome screening is conducted in two stages: the 9th to 13th weeks of pregnancy are called early pregnancy screening, while the 14th to 21st weeks and the 6th day are called mid-pregnancy screening. Whether in the early or mid-pregnancy, pregnant women can obtain the screening results within one week after blood draw.