Patient's question:
I am 4 months pregnant. A few days ago, I received a notification from the hospital to undergo a screening test. The results showed that the baby has Down syndrome. What should I do now? Can the baby still be kept? If I want to keep it, what are the treatment costs?Doctor's answer:
Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. People with normal chromosomes have two copies of chromosome 21, while individuals with Down syndrome have three copies. Therefore, Down syndrome is also known as "trisomy 21," and it is currently the leading cause of intellectual disability. Although limited by technology, screening cannot detect all children with Down syndrome, it should still be remembered that early pregnancy screening at 10-13+6 weeks should be followed by mid-pregnancy screening at 15-20+6 weeks. To avoid missing the appropriate screening time windows for these two periods, it is recommended that you consult a doctor at the hospital.