Question
What is the difference between neonatal disease screening and Down syndrome screening during prenatal testing? Why do some tests require fasting blood draws, while others require drinking glucose water before the blood draw?
Answer
Neonatal disease screening and Down syndrome screening are two different screening programs, each with its own testing purpose. The test conducted after drinking glucose water is the glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes. Down syndrome screening is a 21-trisomy, 18-trisomy syndrome screen performed between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, primarily aimed at preventing birth defects. If a pregnant woman’s fasting blood glucose level is higher than 5.1 at 24 to 28 weeks, she must undergo a diabetes screening to avoid the birth of a macrosomic baby. During pregnancy, it is important to follow the doctor’s guidance and regularly receive basic physical examinations and related tests to ensure the health of both mother and baby.