Question
What are the common screening methods used by pregnant women for Down syndrome?
Answer
Down syndrome screening is a method that measures the levels of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and free estriol by collecting maternal serum, combined with factors such as due date, weight, age, and the gestational age at the time of blood collection. This data is used to calculate the risk of congenital defects at birth. Generally, two screening methods, ‘ultrasound’ and ‘blood testing,’ are used around the 10th to 14th week of pregnancy. By the 15th to 20th week of pregnancy, hospitals will collect blood samples to further examine the levels of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, free estriol, and statins in the serum to assess the health status of the fetus.