The journey of motherhood is a beautiful experience, from pregnancy through delivery. But it can also be a stressful and overwhelming time as you adapt to physical changes and try to navigate the many dos and don’ts and varying advice from friends and family, especially for first-time parents. The last thing you want to have to worry about in addition is the health of your baby.
Prenatal and newborn screening can provide the answers you need to enjoy your pregnancy peacefully, and protect the health of you and your baby.
One of the most relatively common complications of pregnancy is pre-eclampsia. Over 10 million women around the world develop pre-eclampsia each year, and it can cause serious health problems for you and your baby. With screening, you can determine if you are at high risk of developing pre-eclampsia so a treatment can be started to delay its onset, or even prevent it altogether.
All pregnancies have a small chance for a genetic disorder. Prenatal screening can help detect these disorders early, so expecting mothers can get the information they need to make informed choices. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a newer method that provides safe and more accurate detection for these disorders.
A small percentage of babies are born with rare genetic conditions that can be life-threatening, but may be treatable. Newborn screening helps identify some of these disorders so you can begin care before they even affect the baby. It’s a quick and simple way to protect your baby’s health.
Screening programs, the kinds of disorders screened for, and access to newer testing methodologies vary in each part of the world, and even across states and regions within a single country.
Talk to your doctor to find out about the options available to you in your area.
There are also a number of national and international organizations that provide additional information to help you get a deeper understanding of prenatal and newborn screening, and what to expect during testing and after.
References
Wright D, Rolnik DL, Poon LCY, Nicolaides KH. Aspirin for Evidence-Based Preeclampsia Prevention trial: effect of aspirin on length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Rolnik DL, Wright D, Poon LCY, Nicolaides KH. ASPRE trial: performance of screening for preterm pre-eclampsia. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Oct;50(4):492-495.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists patient information leaflet, Information for you: Pre-eclampsia. RCOG Patient Information Committee, London, UK, Aug 2012.
Roberge et al. (2012) Early administration of low-dose aspirin for the prevention of preterm and term preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2012;31(3):141-6. doi: 10.1159/000336662. Epub 2012 Mar 21.
Bujold et al. (2010) Prevention of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction with aspirin started in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol. 2010;116:402-14.
Advise women at high risk of pre-eclampsia to take 75 mg of aspirin daily from 12 weeks until the birth of the baby. NICE clinical guideline 107. Issued: August 2010 last modified: January 2011.
References
Gil MM, Accurti V, Santacruz B, Plana MN, Nicolaides KH. Analysis of Cell-Free DNA in Maternal Blood in Screening For Aneuploidies: Updated Meta-Analysis. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2017 Sep;50(3):302-314. DOI: 10.1002/uog.17484
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/amniocentesis/risks/
Akolekar R, Beta J, Picciarelli G, Ogilvie C, D’Antonio F. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Jan;45(1):16-26. doi: 10.1002/uog.14636.
Disclaimer
PerkinElmer does not endorse or make recommendations with respect to research, medication, or treatments. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For country specific recommendations please consult your local health care professionals.
Products may not be licensed in accordance with the laws in all countries, such as the United States and Canada. Please check with your local representative for availability.
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