Patient's question:
We sent our prenatal screening to the Maternal and Child Health Hospital a few days ago. The results showed high hCG. Is this a Down syndrome baby? The report indicated a 1/650 risk of Down syndrome. Is this considered a high-risk group? Now we don't know what to do. We hope you can advise us! Should we have an amniocentesis?Doctor's answer:
The Down syndrome screening is an important test during pregnancy, primarily used to assess the risk of the fetus having Down syndrome (also known as trisomy 21 or congenital idiocy). Down syndrome screening is divided into early pregnancy screening, mid-pregnancy screening, and fetal neck skin fold measurement at 13 weeks of pregnancy. The results of Down syndrome screening are categorized as low risk, borderline risk, and high risk. Pregnant women with borderline or high-risk results need further amniocentesis to confirm whether the fetus has Down syndrome. A Down syndrome screening result greater than 1:280 is considered high risk, requiring further amniocentesis to confirm whether the fetus has Down syndrome. Your result is 1:279, which is high risk. It is recommended to visit a higher-level hospital for amniocentesis as soon as possible to confirm whether the fetus has Down syndrome and to address the issue early.