Pregnant And Over Forty? Learn About The Quad Screening Test
Pregnant and over forty? You may want to read up a bit about the Quad Screen Testing.
A close friend and his wife, both in their early forties, have been trying to get pregnant for some time and finally succeeded. It was joyous until the happy couple was subjected to errors of the Quad Screen Test.
The Quad Screen Test is a blood test that looks for: AFP, alpha-fetoprotein, a protein produced by the fetus; hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced inside the placenta; EStriol, estrogen, a hormone produced by the fetus and placenta and Inbhibin-A, a protein produced by the placenta and ovaries.
The doctor told them that it was a procedural screening for the first trimester. First, the test includes blood drawn from the mother and an ultrasound that measures the fetus. These results, in conjunction with age, ethnicity, weight, etc. estimate the chances of having a baby with an abnormality.
The couple received a call the following week that their unborn child tested positive for Downs Syndrome. When the couple asked the doctor why the results were positive, the doctor could not say. She looked at the numbers from the lab and needed to look up information to interpret the test results.
The test is only a screening. It does not diagnosis a problem; it only signals further testing should be completed. The couple did their research and calmed their fears.
At one point, the doctor’s office left the couple a message that said they would need counseling. A genetic counselor was made available for the couple, as well as additional screening procedures. An additional blood screening was the final step in the screening process.
The first results are incomplete without the second drawing of blood. Therefore, telling a couple that they are positive for Downs Syndrome is inconclusive and incorrect without finishing the process.
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