Patient's question:
I am 49 weeks pregnant. I discussed it with my husband, and we want to do a screening for Down syndrome. After all, I am an older mother, and I'm afraid that if there's a problem, it would be a form of torture for the child. But I don't know if I can do this test now. Does anyone know?Doctor's answer:
Your idea is good, but you have only been pregnant for 49 days, and it is not suitable for the Down syndrome screening in terms of timing. There are two types of Down syndrome screening: early and mid-pregnancy screening. If you were to do early Down syndrome screening, you should go to the hospital for a thorough examination after the 11th week. Mid-pregnancy screening should also be considered after the 16th week of pregnancy. However, you have only been pregnant for just seven weeks now. Besides an ultrasound examination, in fact, no other tests are necessary.