When should prenatal screening be done

At each stage of pregnancy, the maternal examinations that mothers need to undergo are different, because some maternal examinations can only be performed after the fetus has grown to a certain state. Among them, prenatal screening is a maternal examination that every pregnant woman must undergo, because prenatal screening can effectively detect whether the fetus has congenital malformations. But how many months into the pregnancy can a pregnant woman undergo prenatal screening?

Generally speaking, prenatal screening can be performed as early as 14 weeks of pregnancy. During the examination, the doctor will draw 2 ml of venous blood from the pregnant woman for examination, and this will not have any effect on either the pregnant woman or the fetus.

It should be noted that mothers generally have two prenatal screenings. The first screening, which is the Down syndrome screening, will be done between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. This is mainly to check whether the baby has neural tube defects or cartilage lesions. The second screening, which is the four-dimensional color ultrasound screening, will be done between 20 and 26 weeks of pregnancy. This screening is mainly to check whether the fetus has any external deformities or organ structure deformities. These two screenings are the most basic. If problems are found in the fetus, further examinations or follow-up visits will be needed.

In terms of cost, each hospital charges differently for prenatal screening, and the cost also varies depending on individual and local circumstances. But in general, the costs are relatively low, ranging from a few hundred to thousands, which is affordable for everyone.

A warm reminder to all expectant fathers and mothers: prenatal screening is not a diagnosis, but only a risk prediction of the fetal disease probability. A high-risk screening result means that the pregnant woman is more likely to give birth to a sick child. Therefore, doing a good prenatal screening is responsible for the baby and the family. Giving birth to a healthy and lively child is the hope of every family. Therefore, do not be lazy. If any abnormality is found in the fetus, take appropriate measures to remedy the situation in time after consulting with family members and doctors.