Patient's question:
39-year-old pregnant woman, the local hospital is unwilling to do Down syndrome screening and recommends amniocentesis. I think amniocentesis has a high risk and want to do a 4D ultrasound.Doctor's answer:
Hello! The purposes of amniocentesis and 4D ultrasound are different. Amniocentesis is usually performed between 16-20 weeks and can be used for fetal chromosome karyotype analysis, chromosomal genetic disease diagnosis, and gender determination. It can also use amniotic fluid cells for genetic disease diagnosis, metabolic disease diagnosis, determination of alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid, and can diagnose fetal open neural tube defects, among other things.4D ultrasound is generally performed between 24-30 weeks and can stereoscopically display the color, face, and development of various organs of the fetus. It can also early diagnose fetal abnormalities, such as cleft lip, cleft palate, skeletal developmental abnormalities, cardiovascular malformations, etc.
Medical Advice:
You are considered a high-risk pregnant woman, and the Down syndrome screening test is mandatory. It can screen for high-risk pregnant women whose fetuses may have Down syndrome. Amniocentesis is an invasive procedure with certain risks. Generally, the Down syndrome screening test is performed first, and if the result is high-risk, amniocentesis or chromosome testing is then conducted. 4D ultrasound can only detect whether the fetus has external appearance abnormalities and cannot diagnose genetic diseases, metabolic diseases, or hereditary diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that you first undergo the Down syndrome screening test. If your local hospital does not perform it, you can go to a higher-level hospital for the examination.