What causes high risk of Down syndrome screening

As people pay more and more attention to their physical health, people are paying more and more attention to pregnant women's checkups during pregnancy, especially the Down syndrome screening test. Many pregnant women will do the test in a timely manner as required. Down syndrome screening is mainly used to rule out the chance of the fetus suffering from Down syndrome. Therefore, many pregnant women feel very nervous and worried when doing these tests. There are many reasons that cause the results of this test, and pregnant women do not need to be too anxious.

What causes high risk of Down syndrome screening?

First, genetic factors

If a child with Down syndrome was born in one of the family members or one of the spouses had a chromosomal abnormality during conception, the disease may be inherited.

Second, drug factors

Before and after pregnancy, if pregnant women take teratogenic drugs, such as tetracycline, or take too many pregnancy-preserving drugs, there is a risk of having a baby with Down syndrome or affecting the results of the sugar screening.

Third, age factor

As the age of pregnant women increases, the incidence of fetal chromosomal abnormalities increases significantly, which is caused by aging of egg cells, uneven division and abnormal egg conception. Pregnant women who are 35 years old or older at the time of delivery should undergo prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomes.

Fourth, environmental factors

One of the spouses works under a radioactive screen or in a polluted environment for a long time, or keeps pets for a long time.

Fifth, health factors

Pregnant women have a history of viral infection, such as influenza, rubella, etc., or a history of habitual miscarriage, premature birth or stillbirth, etc.

What is the chance of a high-risk Down syndrome screening test turning around?

Down syndrome screening can detect 60-70% of children with Down syndrome. It should be made clear that the Down syndrome screening test can only help determine the chance that the fetus has Down syndrome, but it cannot determine whether the fetus has Down syndrome. That is to say, when the blood test index is high, the chance of having a Down syndrome baby is higher, but it does not mean that there must be something wrong with the fetus.

Older pregnant women over 35 years old have a higher chance of having Down syndrome babies, but it does not mean that their fetuses will definitely have problems. On the other hand, even if the test index is normal, it cannot guarantee that the fetus will not be sick. Pregnant women whose Down syndrome screening index exceeds the normal level should undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Only if the results of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling are normal can the possibility of Down syndrome be 100% ruled out.