How Important Are Tests And Scans For A Pregnant Mum?

Tests and scans of unborn babies can give peace of mind to the parents and

, in that respect, are very important.

Ultrasound scans are a routine part of pregnancy these days, but certain other tests are usually only undertaken if there is a medical reason to do so.

Ultrasound scan

A second trimester scan is a good way for medical staff to check on the progress of the baby and an opportunity for the parents to be reassured that all is well and to have the sex revealed if thats what they want.

Its wonderful for mum and dad to get an actual image of their baby to take home with them.

There are no known risks with ultrasound scans although some experts still advise that tests and scans should only be carried out if there is an underlying reason to do so.

That said most women will have at least two scans during their pregnancy. The first is around 8-14 weeks and is often called the dating scan; the second usually takes place between 18 and 20 weeks.

This second trimester scan is called the anomaly scan because it checks for structural abnormalities in the baby.

The second trimester scan is much more interesting than the dating scan when baby looked like a jumping bean. Now baby looks like a little person, with limbs and may possibly even be caught on camera sucking her thumb!

You will almost certainly see her beating heart, the curve of her spine and some facial features. The technology is constantly improving the quality of the images captured.

Before you go for the scan youll probably be asked to drink a lot of fluid as a full bladder pushes the womb up enabling the equipment to get better images.

Then you lie on your back, some conducting jelly is placed on your belly and the imaging equipment is passed over your skin.

The equipment emits a high-frequency sound (too high for human ears) through your tummy and into the womb. As the sound reflects back it creates an image.

Mum and dad are able to watch everything on a TV monitor.

Screening tests

Screening tests give a risk factor for a baby having a birth defect like Downs syndrome or spina bifida. They test for markers of abnormalities, such as abnormally high or low levels of certain chemicals or measure the fluid accumulation (or nuchal translucency) in the nuchal fold at the back of the babys neck.

These no-risk, non-invasive tests cannot give a 100% accurate result, they can only flag up any potential risks.

The tests are completely voluntary and are usually offered routinely to mums aged 35 or over.

Diagnostic tests

Diagnostic tests give an almost 100% accurate result on abnormalities as they test DNA taken from your babys cells, either from the placenta or from amniotic fluid. Unfortunately diagnostic tests carry a small risk of miscarriage.

by: Debra Aspinall

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