It identifies the risk of a disorder so that further tests and a prenatal diagnosis can be offered
Techniques that can be used to monitor the health of the mother, developing fetus and baby
Dating scans
Anonaly Scans
Between 8-14 weeks
Pregnancy stage and due date
Tests for marker chemicals which vary normally during pregnancy
Between 18-20 weeks
Serious physical abnormalities in the fetus
to monitor the concentration of marker chemicals
A false positive result
The fetus has a medical condition
The individuals chromosomes arranged as homologous pairs
Amniocentesis and CVS
as early as 8 weeks
14-16 weeks
There is more risk of a miscarriage compared to amniocentesis
Assessed, as will the decisions the individuals concerned are likely to make if a test is positive