Antenatal Screening

A variety of techniques can be used to monitor the health of the mother, developing fetus and baby Antenatal screening identifies the risk of a disorder so that further tests and a prenatal diagnosis can be offered

Given between 8 and 14 weeks and used to determine the pregnancy stage and due date Are used with test for marker chemicals which vary normally during pregnancy

Given between 18 and 20 weeks Detect serious physical abnormalities in the fetus

Routine blood and urine test are carried out throughout the pregnancy to monitor the concentrations of marker chemicals. Measuring a chemical at the wrong time could lead to a false positive result An atypical chemical concentration can lead to diagnostic testing to determine if the fetus has a medical condition