What should I pay attention to when screening for Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is something that all pregnant women need to be checked for during pregnancy. During the screening process for Down syndrome, many things need to be paid attention to, such as the examination time should be around 16 weeks of pregnancy, and blood should be drawn on an empty stomach in the early morning. The screening results are not completely equal to the diagnosis results, so everyone should have regular prenatal check-ups.

The following issues should be noted when conducting Down syndrome screening

1. Screening time: For pregnant women in the second trimester of 14-21 weeks, the best time is 15-18 weeks.

2. Collect venous blood in the early morning on an empty stomach, and measure serum alpha-fetoprotein (αFP), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and F-βHCG concentrations on the same day.

3. There is no age limit for pregnant women, but older pregnant women have a higher positive rate for Down syndrome (DS).

4. Pregnant women need to provide information such as date of birth, last menstrual period date, weight, whether they have diabetes, etc., and input them into the software for analysis. If the gestational age cannot be determined by the last menstrual period, the fetal crown-rump diameter or biparietal diameter measured by B-ultrasound should be used for correction. The risk of the pregnant woman's fetus having Down syndrome (DS) was determined by computer.

5. A negative screening result indicates that the pregnant woman has a low chance of having Down syndrome and is in a low-risk group. However, the screening result cannot represent a diagnosis. For those with a negative screening value, there is also a very small chance of an abnormal pregnancy. For those with a positive screening result, further amniotic fluid chromosome karyotype analysis is recommended for confirmation.

Down syndrome screening is an important part of the birth defect intervention project. It is a people-oriented project that benefits the country and the people and will benefit future generations. It has important practical significance for ensuring population quality, enhancing population quality and saving population costs. There is currently no effective treatment for Down syndrome. The best way to deal with it is to diagnose it as early as possible and terminate the pregnancy before the pregnant woman gives birth. Down syndrome screening has no side effects. It can narrow the scope of amniotic fluid examination and will not miss pregnant women who may be carrying children with dementia. Therefore, it is necessary for every pregnant woman to undergo Down syndrome screening to prevent it before it happens.