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UltraScreen™ is a screening
test performed during the first trimester of pregnancy that helps
determine the mother’s risk of carrying a baby with Down syndrome
or trisomy 18. UltraScreen™ is a combination of ultrasound and
mother’s
blood test that is done between 11 weeks 1 day to 13 weeks 6 days
of pregnancy.
The UltraScreen™ is a non-invasive test and poses no risk to the
baby or pregnancy. Specially trained and certified sonographers perform
an ultrasound exam to measure the pocket of fluid located between the
baby’s spine and neck. At the same time, a sample of the mother’s
blood is analyzed. The baby’s fluid measurement, the mother’s
blood sample results and the mother’s age are entered into the
UltraScreen™ computer program and the risk of Down syndrome and
trisomy 18 are computed. The results are available within 7 days.
UltraScreen™ detects 90% of babies with Down syndrome and 98%
of babies with trisomy 18. UltraScreen™ does not calculate the
risk of open neural tube defects. To learn about the risk of open neural
tube defects, a blood test called maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
test is recommended in the second trimester.
A genetic counselor will report the UltraScreen™ results to you
and a copy will be forwarded to your doctor. The UltraScreen™ is
a screening test that provides an assessment of risk; the results do
not prove that there is a problem with the baby. If results do not fall
within the normal range, your doctor will discuss with you further testing
options such as chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis.
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