Patient's question:
Preparing to do the Down syndrome screening tomorrow. It is said that fasting is required for the Down syndrome screening. Can you drink water during the Down syndrome screening?Doctor's answer:
The purpose of the Down syndrome screening is to determine the risk of the fetus having Down syndrome. You cannot eat dinner or drink water before undergoing the Down syndrome screening. If you have eaten dinner or drunk water in the morning, you need to wait until the next day to do it. Therefore, if you have drunk water, you cannot undergo the Down syndrome screening. It is recommended that pregnant women go to the hospital for screening on an empty stomach in the morning. Down syndrome screening is a non-invasive test for the fetus and can be performed between weeks 14 and 18 of pregnancy. It only requires 2 milliliters of blood to be extracted from the pregnant woman's veins after fasting for 12 hours. The results can be obtained 2 to 3 weeks after the blood draw. It is recommended that you pay attention to rest, do not overexert yourself, maintain a balanced diet, and have a regular lifestyle. It is also important to attend prenatal check-ups regularly.