Patient's question:
So far, I am 12 weeks pregnant and need to have a prenatal examination. Since this is my first pregnancy, I am not very clear about the process of prenatal examinations. I would like to consult whether NT screening is done at the same time as the Down syndrome screening?Doctor's answer:
NT is the measurement of the neck translucency of the fetus, and a detailed examination of it is used for early confirmation of chromosomal diseases and early detection of factors that may cause fetal abnormalities. On the other hand, the triple screen test is the full name for the prenatal screening test for Down syndrome. The triple screen test is performed by analyzing the mother's blood to predict the likelihood of the fetus developing Down syndrome. These are two different tests, so there is no need to do them together because the best time to check NT is around 12 weeks of pregnancy, while the triple screen test is done between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy.