What’s All the Fuss About Prenatal Testing?
Pregnancy is a wonderful period of time to experience. Although most babies are born healthy, it is only natural to worry if your baby will have health problems. Is it possible to know ahead of time and possibly do something that can correct the problem before it happens?
Prenatal Testing as a Precautionary Tool
Modern technology has brought about a number of tests that can be performed during pregnancy that can keep you informed about the progress of your fetus. Prenatal tests can be very useful in determining health complications that may endanger the mother as well as the fetus.
It all boils down to deciding what kind of testing you are willing to pursue and to what extent as there are certain risks of prenatal testing so you need to consider certain limitations inherent in the variety of tests available.
- Prenatal tests are designed to identify several aspects of your fetus’s development.
- Basic prenatal tests involve determining the fetus’s sex, age, size and position.
- Further testing may involve identifying any medical problems that the mother has that would affect the fetus’s health that can be treated.
- Other testing may include looking for fetal genetic or congenital problems in general and then perhaps specific fetal abnormalities such as heart defects.
Two General Types of Prenatal Tests
The first type is called a screening test. The most routine of the tests include blood and ultrasound tests. A more specific type of screening test would involve looking for abnormal chromosomes and is known as karyotyping. This is generally done in the first or second trimester. This is a simple test that poses no threat to the mother or fetus. This type of test is not definitive because it is not looking at single gene problems but rather the overall size and shape of chromosome.
Identifying High Risk Pregnancies
It is certainly useful to identify Trisomy 21 or what is known as Down syndrome since you have 3 copies of chromosome 21 instead of two. This is easy to spot in a chromosome test. On the other hand, you have prenatal diagnostic tests that are more specific. These are generally done if a screening test indicates a problem or there is evidence from your family history that you have an increased risk of a genetic problem.
The decision to utilize this test generally requires an invasive procedure such as chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. These types of diagnostic tests may cause miscarriage of one in every one hundred and fifty or so tests, and must be done only if necessary.
Keep in mind that if an abnormality is found doesn’t mean that anything can be done about it. That’s the hard part. Do you want to know for sure? This is a difficult problem to deal with and takes serious consideration before you initiate testing.
Should You Consider Prenatal Testing?
No doubt prenatal testing can provide powerful information about you and your fetus’s well being but you need to understand the risks of prenatal testing which may involve not only physical trauma but emotional trauma as well. There are questions you need to consider about prenatal testing before you do it. Remember that prenatal testing is optional so you need to make a well-informed decision whether or not to do certain types of tests.
One of the first questions you should ask yourself is: what will I do with the results I receive? Certainly positive results will put your mind at ease but what if the results indicate that your fetus may have a birth defect. Do you continue with your pregnancy or terminate? Could you somehow plan for special care after the fact?
These are serious decisions and you need to be prepared to deal with the results of these tests. Prenatal tests will certainly determine how you go about prenatal care. If a problem is detected that can be treated during pregnancy, by all means that can be done or perhaps the condition can be treated after birth. Either way you are prepared to deal with the situation ahead of time.
Danger of False Negatives in Prenatal Testing
Always remember that prenatal tests are like any other tests in that they can produce false responses so be prepared for that one. Specific prenatal tests (genetic) can create anxiety, physical pain and miscarriage. Is it worth knowing? You will need to decide. The last thing to consider is the cost of some of these tests. Insurance doesn’t cover all of them. Can you afford or are you willing to pay for the cost out of your own pocket?
Modern technology has come a long way Prenatal testing can provide very useful information regarding fetal development. These tests can warn you ahead of time about possible complications that may be prevented or at least treated. Never the less these tests bring about a need for careful consideration in terms of your decisions. Talk with your healthcare provider, loved ones and friends to get some direction. Genetic counselors are always available and can be tremendous help in guiding you to the proper decision. What ever you do, make sure you are as well informed as you can be. Do not be hasty in your decision.
