Patient's question:
I am already 35 years old this year. Ten years ago, I had a child after a cesarean section. A year later, I got pregnant again, and then had an abortion and got an IUD. Now, due to other reasons, I want to have another child. What should I pay attention to now?Doctor's answer:
Pre-pregnancy prenatal screening items are similar to our health check-ups, and the number of items can vary. Below, we will explain a few of the more important items:General blood count test (CBC)
This test can determine the level of hemoglobin and identify anemia, allowing for early treatment. It also provides platelet counts. Platelets are related to blood clotting, and childbirth involves some bleeding, so individuals with platelet issues should be treated before becoming pregnant. This test can also measure the size of red blood cells (MCV). The Chinese population has a high prevalence of thalassemia carriers. Thalassemia carriers have smaller red blood cells, and their MCV will be less than 80. This is an inherited genetic disorder, and only if both parents are carriers will the next generation be affected. Therefore, if the expectant mother's MCV is less than 80, the expectant father must also have a blood test. If both are less than 80, further tests such as blood electrophoresis and DNA analysis may be required. If only one has an MCV less than 80, there is no need to worry. This is a genetic disorder that can be diagnosed prenatally, so the incidence of thalassemia in newborns has been very rare in recent years. Thus, the general blood count test (CBC) can be said to be a cost-effective yet highly informative test.