Screening for Pregnancy: We Shall Wean the Doubts

The most informative method of perinatal diagnosis is the study of pregnant women using ultrasound - ultrasound. People of the older generation hardly understand why to do screening during pregnancy, citing their experience as an example, telling horrible stories about harmful exposure of the fetus and the pregnant woman and perceiving ultrasound only as an opportunity to determine the sex of the unborn child.

For all 9 months obstetricians-gynecologists recommend future mothers to make four ultrasound:

1. 5-6 weeks to make sure that the fertilized egg is properly entrenched in the uterine cavity, and there is no threat of an ectopic pregnancy;
2. 10-13 weeks, the so-called ultrasound screening of 1 trimester, aimed at clarifying the timing of pregnancy, determining the number of embryos, as well as determining the places of fixing them in the uterine cavity. An assessment is made of the quality of the placenta, the thickness of the child's collar space. The main task of ultrasound screening in the first trimester is to determine the genetic malformations in the fetus (Down's syndrome and Edwards syndrome, neural tube neural tube defects);
3. 20-23 weeks of pregnancy is carried out ultrasound screening of the 2 trimester, the main task of which is to determine the possibility of developing malformations in the fetus and to determine the indicators of echo- markers of chromosomal diseases of the embryo. Ultrasound screening during pregnancy at this time helps to determine the volume and quality of amniotic fluid, the level of development of the placenta, as well as to assess the condition of the fetus: brain, facial skull, internal organs.
4. 30-33 weeks of ultrasound helps to identify defects in the development of the fetus with late manifestations, as well as assess the functional state of the fetus. This is an important stage of birth planning. In the course of this ultrasound, the fit of the fetus and the gestation period is determined, its position inside the uterine cavity (gluteal, head, etc.). Dopplerometry aimed at assessing the state of uteroplacental blood flow is carried out.

Screening for pregnancy before 16 weeks is carried out by all pregnant women in several stages: first, they make ultrasound, where the doctor measures the size of the collar space of the fetus, the length of the humerus and other parameters. It is believed that if the collar space is more than two centimeters, that is, the risk of developing a fetal Down syndrome. According to the results of ultrasound, pregnant women take blood for certain hormones, the number of which changes, the doctor can assume the risk of intrauterine malformation of the fetus. In some cases, women are forced to interrupt pregnancy because of the threat of their life, but such situations are rare.

Screening ultrasound in pregnancy to 24 weeks: the fetus is already quite large and the doctor can examine his internal organs and their anatomical features. The brain, heart, lungs, stomach, liver and bladder are examined. In case of detection of defects in the development of the fetus, which threaten not only the life of the fetus, but also the mother, the woman still has a chance to terminate the pregnancy. After a detailed examination of the fetus, the ultrasound physician also examines other equally important indicators: the condition of the placenta, the fetal cord, amniotic fluid, the cervix of the pregnant woman, etc. Based on the findings, the expert makes a conclusion about the development of the fetus and its timing of pregnancy. The blood test for hormones is repeated.

After screening for pregnancy, a special questionnaire is filled in, indicating all the parameters of the fetus, as well as the results of the blood test for hormones. In conclusion, the doctor-geneticist issues a pregnant report, which indicates the probability of the birth of her sick child. The fact that this procedure is performed by all the ladies in the position does not at all mean that everyone will develop a fetus. Units of women fall into the category of risk.