FS24 PRENATAL TESTING OVERVIEW
Fa t Sheet 4 | PRENATAL TESTING OVERVIEW
This fa t sheet gi es a o er ie of a u
a
efore irth usi g a pre atal test.
I su
er of
a s that it
a
e possi le to he k the health of a
ary
Pre atal tests are a ay of he ki g the health of a a y efore irth
There is o test that gi es a
So e tests gi e a ery a urate result a out the health of the a y hile others gi e a
esi ate or risk result
Tesi g is al ays opio al.
% guara tee of a healthy a y
E er ouple a ts to ha e a health a a d for
ost, this ill e the ase. There are so e ouples
ho e er ho ill ha e a a
ith a serious
health pro le . A health pro le i the a
a
o ur for o appare t reaso or it a o e
a out due to a k o risk fa tor.
So e of the fa tors hi h i rease the likelihood
of a a ha i g a health pro le are:
Where there is a lose relai e or a pre ious
hild ith a serious health pro le
O e or oth pare ts of the a has a health
pro le that a e passed o
O e or oth pare ts of the a are k o
arriers of a pari ular fault ge e
The other is i her id- s or older ot
e essaril her irst preg a
There has ee e posure to so e he i al or
other e iro e tal fa tors duri g the
preg a
Where the pare ts are related
lood e.g.
irst ousi s .
WHAT ARE PRENATAL TESTS?
Pre atal tests a o ur i a u er of difere t
a s a d at ertai stages of the preg a . I
ge eral, there are t o ai t pes of pre atal test
– a s ree i g test a d a diag osi test.
S ree i g tests gi e a
pro a ilit that a a
These tests do ot ge
sa ple fro
the de
therefore er safe.
risk or esi ate of the
has a health pro le .
erall look dire tl at a
elopi g a
a d are
I luded i the group of s ree i g tests are
ultrasou ds, o -i asi e pre atal tesi g, irst
tri ester s ree i g a d se o d tri ester
s ree i g.
Ea h of these s ree i g tests are des ri ed further
i the diagra
elo .
Diag osi tests pro ide a ore a urate result
si e the are dire tl tesi g the a . Be ause of
this, so e of the tests a ause a loss of the
a i a s all u er of ases.
I luded i the group of diag osi tests are
ultrasou ds, horio i illus sa pli g CVS a d
a io e tesis. Ea h of these diag osi tests are
des ri ed further i the diagra a d ta le elo .
WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO HAVE A PRENATAL
TEST?
Tesi g duri g preg a
is opio al a d should e
dis ussed i full ith our do tor, id ife or
ge ei ou sellor. Maki g a de isio to ha e a
test or ot is al a s up to ou.
WHAT IF THE TEST SHOWS THE BABY HAS A
HEALTH PROBLEM?
Whe a a is fou d to ha e a health pro le
efore irth, it a
e a er e oio al a d
dii ult i e for the pare ts a d fa il . You ill
e gi e i for aio a out the health pro le
that has ee ide iied a d supported as ou
u dersta d its i pa t o our a s health.
Depe di g o the stage of the preg a , ou ill
e a le to dis uss opio s of pla i g for the irth
of our a or e di g the preg a . Whether
ou de ide to o i ue or e d a preg a , ou
ill e ofered support a d i for aio .
IF A TEST RESULT IS NORMAL, WILL MY BABY BE
HEALTHY?
There is o test duri g preg a
that a gi e a
guara tee that a a
ill ha e o health or
de elop e tal pro le s. E e though diag osi
tests are ore a urate tha s ree i g tests, the
do ot pi k up e er possi le health pro le .
.ge ei s.edu.au
Updated
Page of
Septe er
5
Fa t Sheet 4 | PRENATAL TESTING OVERVIEW
PRENATAL TESTING TIMELINE
The pre atal tesi g i eli e sho s the difere t t pes of tests a aila le at arious stages of preg a .
Ea h of these tests ill gi e so e i for aio a out the de elop e t of the a . There is ore
detailed i for aio a out ea h spe ii test a aila le i the fa t sheets oted o the i eli e elo .
.ge ei s.edu.au
Updated
Page of
Septe er
5
This fa t sheet gi es a o er ie of a u
a
efore irth usi g a pre atal test.
I su
er of
a s that it
a
e possi le to he k the health of a
ary
Pre atal tests are a ay of he ki g the health of a a y efore irth
There is o test that gi es a
So e tests gi e a ery a urate result a out the health of the a y hile others gi e a
esi ate or risk result
Tesi g is al ays opio al.
% guara tee of a healthy a y
E er ouple a ts to ha e a health a a d for
ost, this ill e the ase. There are so e ouples
ho e er ho ill ha e a a
ith a serious
health pro le . A health pro le i the a
a
o ur for o appare t reaso or it a o e
a out due to a k o risk fa tor.
So e of the fa tors hi h i rease the likelihood
of a a ha i g a health pro le are:
Where there is a lose relai e or a pre ious
hild ith a serious health pro le
O e or oth pare ts of the a has a health
pro le that a e passed o
O e or oth pare ts of the a are k o
arriers of a pari ular fault ge e
The other is i her id- s or older ot
e essaril her irst preg a
There has ee e posure to so e he i al or
other e iro e tal fa tors duri g the
preg a
Where the pare ts are related
lood e.g.
irst ousi s .
WHAT ARE PRENATAL TESTS?
Pre atal tests a o ur i a u er of difere t
a s a d at ertai stages of the preg a . I
ge eral, there are t o ai t pes of pre atal test
– a s ree i g test a d a diag osi test.
S ree i g tests gi e a
pro a ilit that a a
These tests do ot ge
sa ple fro
the de
therefore er safe.
risk or esi ate of the
has a health pro le .
erall look dire tl at a
elopi g a
a d are
I luded i the group of s ree i g tests are
ultrasou ds, o -i asi e pre atal tesi g, irst
tri ester s ree i g a d se o d tri ester
s ree i g.
Ea h of these s ree i g tests are des ri ed further
i the diagra
elo .
Diag osi tests pro ide a ore a urate result
si e the are dire tl tesi g the a . Be ause of
this, so e of the tests a ause a loss of the
a i a s all u er of ases.
I luded i the group of diag osi tests are
ultrasou ds, horio i illus sa pli g CVS a d
a io e tesis. Ea h of these diag osi tests are
des ri ed further i the diagra a d ta le elo .
WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO HAVE A PRENATAL
TEST?
Tesi g duri g preg a
is opio al a d should e
dis ussed i full ith our do tor, id ife or
ge ei ou sellor. Maki g a de isio to ha e a
test or ot is al a s up to ou.
WHAT IF THE TEST SHOWS THE BABY HAS A
HEALTH PROBLEM?
Whe a a is fou d to ha e a health pro le
efore irth, it a
e a er e oio al a d
dii ult i e for the pare ts a d fa il . You ill
e gi e i for aio a out the health pro le
that has ee ide iied a d supported as ou
u dersta d its i pa t o our a s health.
Depe di g o the stage of the preg a , ou ill
e a le to dis uss opio s of pla i g for the irth
of our a or e di g the preg a . Whether
ou de ide to o i ue or e d a preg a , ou
ill e ofered support a d i for aio .
IF A TEST RESULT IS NORMAL, WILL MY BABY BE
HEALTHY?
There is o test duri g preg a
that a gi e a
guara tee that a a
ill ha e o health or
de elop e tal pro le s. E e though diag osi
tests are ore a urate tha s ree i g tests, the
do ot pi k up e er possi le health pro le .
.ge ei s.edu.au
Updated
Page of
Septe er
5
Fa t Sheet 4 | PRENATAL TESTING OVERVIEW
PRENATAL TESTING TIMELINE
The pre atal tesi g i eli e sho s the difere t t pes of tests a aila le at arious stages of preg a .
Ea h of these tests ill gi e so e i for aio a out the de elop e t of the a . There is ore
detailed i for aio a out ea h spe ii test a aila le i the fa t sheets oted o the i eli e elo .
.ge ei s.edu.au
Updated
Page of
Septe er
5