Patient's question:
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had an abnormal result in the Down syndrome screening and underwent an amniocentesis. The results showed that one pair of chromosomes was slightly shorter, and I chose to terminate the pregnancy. After a year, I got pregnant with my second child, and the Down syndrome screening was normal. I gave birth to a daughter who is now 6 years old. I would like to ask if it is still necessary to have an amniocentesis when I have my third child if the Down syndrome screening is normal.Doctor's answer:
The Down syndrome screening is a method to calculate the risk of Down syndrome birth by extracting the mother's serum and testing the levels of alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin in the mother's serum. The best time for screening the infant is between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy. If the risk is high, amniocentesis and fetal karyotyping should be performed further. Physical examination can confirm the diagnosis. Guidance: Although amniocentesis is not usually recommended for Down syndrome, after all, it is invasive.