Patient's question:
I am already four and a half months pregnant. Yesterday, I went to the hospital for a Down syndrome screening. After seeing the results, I noticed it was high-risk for open neural tube defect. I'm almost (bēn kuì - about to collapse). What should I do about the high-risk open neural tube defect from the Down syndrome screening? Can the child still be kept?Doctor's answer:
In the results of the Down syndrome screening, high-risk status appeared again. There's no need to be too anxious; it's important to relax. The presence of a high-risk condition doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem. You can first go to the hospital to have blood drawn and undergo a non-invasive DNA test to check for any abnormalities. If the DNA test shows abnormalities upon careful examination, amniocentesis should be performed directly. If the amniocentesis also shows abnormalities, then this child cannot be kept.