Patient's question:
My partner smokes and drinks beer, but he drinks beer, usually one or two bottles per meal, and smokes a few cigarettes a day. We didn't plan to get pregnant, but we ended up having a baby. I'm worried that the child's physical and intellectual development might be poor. I told him we could do a Down syndrome test, but last night he said the child's intelligence can't be tested and told me to abort it. Now that the baby is two months old, I don't want to abort and I just want to cry. He's threatening me with marriage. Is it true that a thorough Down syndrome test only needs to be done on a small part of the sample? If the Down syndrome test comes back negative, will there be no problem with the child's intelligence? Can you give me some advice, doctor?Doctor's answer:
I am your attending physician, and I will explain this to you. After reviewing your issue, I can tell you that it is generally normal. During pre-pregnancy, you should take folic acid for three months. After getting pregnant, continue taking folic acid for another three months to prevent fetal abnormalities. The Down syndrome screening can detect children with intellectual issues. If he only smokes and drinks beer, it is usually not a problem. However, if you are not married yet and he does not want the child, I think you should seriously consider how to have a child.