Patient's question:
I got pregnant through artificial insemination, and everything was normal with my body during the pregnancy. However, now I am about six and a half months pregnant, so I went to the hospital for prenatal care. The doctor said there were no major issues and recommended that I undergo a detailed screening test.The help I need: How to interpret the results of the Down syndrome screening test.
Doctor's answer:
A Down syndrome screening is a test that involves extracting pregnant women's serum to examine the concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and free estriol in the maternal serum. By combining this with the pregnant woman's estimated due date, weight, age, and gestational age at the time of blood collection, it estimates the risk factor for giving birth to a fetus with congenital defects. During prenatal check-ups, all pregnant women undergo a thorough Down syndrome screening. This leads some women to wonder if it is necessary to do the screening. In fact, the main purpose of this test is to screen for children with Down syndrome, as individuals with Down syndrome suffer from severe intellectual disabilities, which can impose significant mental and financial burdens on families. Therefore, Down syndrome screening is still necessary.