Question

At 111 days pregnant (calculated based on ultrasound), the mother’s age at delivery is 26.8 years old, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level is 52.07 U/ml, AFP (MOM) is 1.625, free β-hCG (Fre-βhCG) is 153.73, free β-HCG (MOM) is 7.25, the risk of Down syndrome is 1 in 140, the risk of trisomy 18 is 1 in 98,000, and the risk of age group is 1 in 1,300, with an open neural tube defect being negative. Doctor, based on these results, what is the probability of fetal issues? I would like to learn more about the Down syndrome screening.

Answer

The Down syndrome screening is conducted between weeks 15 to 21 of pregnancy to assess the risk of the baby having Down syndrome. This test involves bloodwork and combines recent ultrasound results to determine the risk. It’s important to note that a high-risk result does not necessarily indicate a problem and that the accuracy of the Down syndrome screening is not 100%. Many pregnant women choose to undergo screening to alleviate concerns about their baby’s intellectual development issues, but the results are not always accurate. If the screening result shows a high risk, it is usually recommended to undergo further confirmatory tests, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, to obtain a more accurate diagnosis.