As lao wai or expat mothers-to-be in Shanghai, we spend so much time thinking about things like, where should I have my baby? When should the grandparents arrive? How many vacations can we fit in before the due date? What should I eat next? We spend a little less time thinking about some of the more humdrum things like prenatal care. So to help you be a little more mentally prepared, we sat down with Dr. Yvette Kong and asked her to give us a breakdown of some of the screening tests parents-to-be can expect during pregnancy.
To give you some background, Dr. Kong has been a practicing Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/GYN) for over 18 years. When she began studying medicine she wanted to be a general surgeon, but her love for babies directed her to become an OB/GYN. More than 1,000 deliveries later, you can visit her in Luwan Clinic next to Xintiandi and also see her office wall covered with beautiful newborn babies from all over the world (That reminds me, I’m a year late in sending a picture of my little girl who Dr. Kong delivered last summer.)
We managed to catch Dr. Kong in-between patients and asked her to give us an overview of the genetic tests a mother can expect during pregnancy. But before she gave us this information she couldn’t resist sharing some important insights with us. “The relationship a patient has with their doctor, especially in a city far away from home, is so important. It’s critical that parents-to-be choose someone medically qualified to handle any and all challenges a pregnancy may present. 90% of pregnancies are fine and have no complications, but in the small chance that there are complications, you want to make sure you have someone that can handle them. Secondly, you must choose a doctor that you trust and can develop an open relationship with. There are many other things that people consider, including facilities, convenient clinic locations, etc. These are all important considerations, but your doctor will be with you throughout your pregnancy so a good relationship with him or her is invaluable.”
Now back to a breakdown of the screening tests you can expect during a pregnancy. There are many factors that your doctor will consider as screening tests are conducted including the parents‘ age and family medical history. Results from the screenings enable the parents to know whether or not their baby is at a higher risk for birth defects or genetic disorders. In most cases, even couples that are considered at risk for having a baby with a genetic disorder have healthy children. And in some cases, genetic disorders can occur even when there is no medical history or risk factors in the family.
Screening tests detect an increased risk of birth defects. If the results of these tests indicate an increased risk, further diagnostic tests are done to identify the specific problem.
Screening tests conducted early on include:
1. Nuchal Translucency Screening (NT):10-14 weeks
By using the results of an ultrasound and a blood test, the NT screening tests look for signs of Down Syndrome (trisomy 21) and trisomy 18. At ParkwayHealth, this test is done in partnership with our laboratories in Hong Kong enabling us to provide results with a 90% accuracy rate.
2. Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) Screening: 15-20 weeks
This test measures the level of maternal serum AFP which indicates if a mother is at risk for having a baby with neural tube defect.
3. Level II Targeted Ultrasound: 18-22 weeks
This detailed ultrasound is done to check the fetal structure. Any major problems and physical defects can be seen at this time. At ParkwayHealth these ultrasounds are performed by our specialist who also has high level expertise in screening for fetal congenital heart disease. In most cases, the doctor can also determine the sex of your baby during this ultrasound.
Based on the results of the screening tests, a diagnostic test may be conducted to determine the presence of certain birth defects.
Diagnostic tests include:
1. Amniocentesis: around 18 weeks
During this procedure a needle is inserted into the abdomen and a small amount of amniotic fluid is withdrawn and taken for further testing to detect genetic disorders. There is a very, very small chance of a miscarriage and infection during this procedure (around 0.3%).
2. Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): 10-12 weeks
Similar to the Amniocentesis, the CVS also tests for genetic disorders but can be done at an earlier stage in the pregnancy. During this procedure a small amount of cells are removed from the placenta for further testing. This procedure is not offered in Shanghai. A CVS test also has around a 0.3% chance of resulting in a miscarriage.
In addition to these screening and diagnostic tests, there are many other routine visits and checks that you can expect during your pregnancy. We hope this information helps you know a little more about what to expect when you’re expecting.
|
