| According to the U.S. Department of
| |
| | To find out for sure if the fetus has a
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| Health & Human Services your spouse may
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| | birth defect, NTS must be followed by a
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| need other lab tests, like blood or urine
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| | diagnostic test like chorionic villus
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| tests, cultures for infections, or
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| | sampling or amniocentesis. NTS is not yet
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| ultrasound exams in the first trimester,
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| | widely used. If you and your spouse are
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| for special genetic or medical reasons.
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| | interested in NTS, talk to your doctor.
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| The doctor will discuss them with you and
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| | If she is unable to do the test, she can
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| your spouse during your visits. The most
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| | refer you to someone who can. Your spouse
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| common tests recommended in the first
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| | should also call her insurance company to
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| trimester include:
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| | find out if they cover the cost of this
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| Nuchal translucency screening (NTS)
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| | procedure.
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| This new type of screening can be done
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| | According to the U.S. Department of
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| between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. It
| |
| | Health & Human Services, NTS allows women
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| uses an ultrasound and blood test to
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| | to find out early if there are potential
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| calculate the risk of some birth defects.
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| | health problems with the fetus. This may
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| Doctors use the ultrasound exam to check
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| | help them decide whether to have
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| the thickness of the back of the fetus'
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| | follow-up tests.
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| neck. They also test your spouse's blood
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| | Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
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| for levels of a protein called
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| | CVS is performed between 10 and 12 weeks
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| pregnancy-associated plasma protein and a
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| | of pregnancy. In CVS, the doctor inserts
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| hormone called human chorionic
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| | a needle through the abdomen or inserts a
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| gonadotropin (hCG). Doctors use this
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| | catheter through the cervix to reach the
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| information to tell if the fetus has a
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| | placenta. The doctor then takes a sample
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| normal or greater than normal chance of
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| | of cells from the placenta. Experts use
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| having some birth defects.
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| | this sample to look for problems with the
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| In an important recent study, NTS found
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| | baby's chromosomes. This test cannot find
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| 87% of cases of Down syndrome when done
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| | out whether your baby has open neural
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| at 11 weeks of pregnancy. When NTS was
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| | tube defects.
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| followed by another blood test done in
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| | According to the U.S. Department of
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| the second trimester (maternal serum
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| | Health & Human Services, about 1 in 200
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| screening test), 95% of fetuses with Down
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| | women have a miscarriage as a result of
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| syndrome were identified. Like all
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| | this test.
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| screening tests, the results are
| |
| | Pregnancy can be a challenging phase for
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| sometimes misleading. According to the
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| | your spouse. Maintaining a healthy
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| U.S. Department of Health & Human
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| | posture will help her keep many problems
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| Services, in 5% of women who have NTS,
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| | away. Sometimes being a dad takes a
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| results show that their babies have a
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| | little wise perspective…... You can
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| high risk of having a birth defect when
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| | exchange advice, tricks, tips, and
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| they are actually healthy. This is called
| |
| | solutions to common dad problems here.
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| a false positive.
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|
