Patient's question:
Now I'm about three months pregnant and have never had a Down syndrome screening. My best friend told me it's still necessary to do it to check if the baby has any deformities or other conditions. I'm three months pregnant now. Could you please tell me when is the best time to do the Down syndrome screening?Doctor's answer:
Generally, screening is conducted between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, which is typically around the 4th month of gestation. Down syndrome screening requires a fasting blood test, primarily to determine the likelihood of the fetus having Down syndrome. This is an early teratogenetic test. If the indicators are normal, the probability of falling below the threshold is relatively low. If the indicators are high or close to the danger level, further non-invasive DNA testing or amniocentesis may be required.