Patient's question:
Doctor, I am 35 years old this year, and I don't know if I belong to the category of high-risk pregnancy. I am very afraid that the child may have any genetic diseases or disabilities that are not detected, so I had a Down syndrome screening. I don't know how to read the results of the Down syndrome screening?Doctor's answer:
Generally, if a woman is under 35 years old, she is considered a high-risk pregnancy. For high-risk pregnancies, the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities, fetal malformations, and pregnancy complications is relatively higher. Based on the current situation described, she is still 35 years old and has not yet reached the age of 35 and under, so she is not yet considered a high-risk pregnancy. At this stage, she can undergo a Down syndrome screening, which typically involves blood tests between weeks 15 and 20 to check for any high-risk conditions. If the test results are all low-risk, there is generally no major issue. However, if a high-risk condition reappears, further testing is usually required. Options include non-invasive DNA testing or amniocentesis to rule out any abnormalities.