Do I need a first trimester screening?

The first comprehensive examination of the baby is carried outlong before his birth. So, for a period of 11 to 14 weeks, obstetrician-gynecologists recommend that almost all their patients be screened for the first trimester. Do not be afraid of this phrase, with the future mother and child will not do anything terrible. This study includes a routine ultrasound diagnosis and a special blood test from a vein taken from the mother in the laboratory. That is why the screening of the first trimester is also called a double test.

The specified period is the most favorable.to identify possible genetic failures in the baby. According to the results of analysis and ultrasound, a specialist can identify various malformations of organs or body systems and predict whether there is a possibility that a child has Down syndrome, Klinefelter or Edwards. Screening the first trimester shows only the likelihood of genetic diseases, and in the course of further research they can either confirm or deny.

The principle of this study is based on the fact thatThe doctor not only looks at the ultrasound, whether the baby’s legs and arms are in place, but also takes certain measurements. The length of the baby is measured, its compliance with the age of the fetus is checked. Quite an important indicator is the thickness of the neck fold - neck area. This is the area between the soft tissues and the skin, in which fluid accumulates. An excessive increase in its size indicates a high risk of developing genetic diseases. The nasal bone is also measured: by the end of the 3rd month of pregnancy it should be about 3 mm.

You will be told if the specialist is notLike the results of the first trimester screening. The thickness standards for the neck area, for example, vary with the gestational age: at 11 weeks its average thickness is 1.2 mm, and at 14 weeks - 1.5 mm. But there is no reason for panic, if this zone is 2-2.5 mm. Even if the values ​​are increased, do not panic. Taking into account the fact that the accuracy of measurements depends on the equipment and the level of professionalism of the ultrasound diagnostic doctor, it makes no sense to evaluate the results of this study without analyzes.

In the laboratory, screening for the first trimester isbiochemical analysis, during which the content of free b-hCG and plasma protein A (PAPP-A) in the mother’s blood is examined and compared with the average values ​​that should be. The laboratory on the form indicates the results obtained and their standards for each week. Only a combination of tests and ultrasound results can provide a relatively clear picture of how the pregnancy proceeds. Screening of the first trimester cannot be considered reliable if you donate blood or only do an ultrasound. Moreover, these studies should be done on almost one day in order to rule out the possibility of an error due to time lag.

Do not abandon the study onlybecause you're afraid of getting bad results. Even if this happens, no one can force you to terminate a pregnancy, you will simply be advised to go for further studies to confirm or deny the diagnosis. But if you know in advance about possible problems, you will be able to adequately prepare for the birth of a special baby.