FS25 SCREENING TESTS DURING PREGNANCY

Fa t Sheet 25 | SCREENING TESTS DURING PREGNANCY
This fa t sheet des ri es the t pes of tests a aila le duri g preg a
a d de elop e tal pro le s i the a .
I su

to s ree for ertai ge ei health

ary



S ree i g tests a ot tell if your a y dei itely has a ge ei o diio ut they
ight i di ate that further tesi g eeds to e o sidered diag osi tesi g



Regardless of your age or fa ily health history, you a
you ha e a pre atal s ree i g test



Pre atal s ree i g tests i lude:
 Ultrasou d
 No -i asi e pre atal tesi g NIPT : tesi g of the other's lood
 First tri ester early preg a y s ree i g: u hal pro ou ed e - al
tra slu e y ultrasou d ith or ithout tesi g of the other’s lood
 Se o d tri ester
id-preg a y s ree i g: tesi g of the other’s lood
ater al seru tesi g .

Preg a
is usuall di ided i to three stages
tri esters . The irst tri ester refers to the irst
three o ths of preg a , the se o d tri ester
spa s o ths four to si a d the third tri ester
o ers the i al three
o ths of preg a .
Pre atal tests are do e i either the irst or
se o d tri ester of preg a .
PRENATAL SCREENING TESTS FOR YOUR BABY IN
PREGNANCY

There are a u er of difere t tests a aila le to
assess the health a d de elop e t of our a
efore irth. Belo is a su
ar of the difere t
s ree i g tests, he the a
e do e, ho
relia le the are a d also hat i for aio the
pro ide.
It is i porta t that ou get as u h i for aio as
possi le efore a tesi g is do e. Dis ussio s
regardi g pre atal tesi g opio s should e
ofered to ou a d our part er i a safe a d
u dersta di g e iro e t. Seeki g support at
this i e a assist ou i
aki g i for ed
de isio s a out the future of our preg a .
It is i porta t to dis uss the follo i g pre atal
tesi g issues:
 Ho a d he the tests are do e
 The ad a tages a d disad a tages of ea h test


A risks to ou or our a that a result
fro ea h test

A further tesi g that ight e ofered a d
hat it i ol es.

hoose hether or ot

If the result of a pre atal test sho s that our
a is ot de elopi g or all or ould de elop
a pro le ater irth, ge ei ou selli g ill gi e
ou the opportu it to dis uss:

What the result ea s for our a a d our
fa il

The opio s a aila le at this i e su h as
further tesi g a d hat it i ol es


Your thoughts a d feeli gs to ards people
ith disa iliies

Your thoughts a d feeli gs to ards
ter i aio of preg a .
TYPES OF SCREENING TESTS
First tri ester ultrasou d:

Is do e et ee eeks of preg a

Will o ir ho
a
a ies there are a d
ho
a
eeks the preg a
has
progressed

Is a i porta t step if ou are o sideri g

ha i g tesi g later i our preg a

Is a safe a of assessi g the gro th of our
a i the irst tri ester of preg a

Does ot pose a health risk to ou or our
a .

.ge ei s.edu.au

Updated

Page of
Septe er

Fa t Sheet 25 | SCREENING TESTS DURING PREGNANCY
No -i asi e pre atal tesi g NIPT :

Is do e fro
eeks of preg a

o ards

Is a s ree i g test for Do
s dro e a d
so e other hro oso e o diio s
 It i ol es the other ha i g a lood test

It pro ides a highl a urate risk although ot
% of the a
ha i g Do
s dro e
a d/or so e other hro oso e o diio s

Is a e test urre tl o l ofered through
so e spe ialist e tres

Does ot pose a health risk to ou or our
a .
First tri ester s ree i g test
 Ca

e do e et ee
. — .
eeks of
preg a
 Is a s ree i g test for Do
s dro e a d
so e other hro oso e o diio s
 It i ol es a spe ial ultrasou d ith or ithout
a lood test See Figure 5.
 The result is gi e to ou as a esi ate of the
ha e of our a ha i g a hro oso e
o diio su h as Do s dro e
 It ide iies et ee
- % of a ies ith
Do s dro e
 The
ultrasou d
a
pro ide further
i for aio o the de elop e t of our a

 Does ot pose a
health risk to ou or our
a .
Se o d tri ester s ree i g test:

Ca
e do e et ee
eeks of
preg a

Is a s ree i g test for Do
s dro e a d
eural tu e defe ts

It i ol es the other ha i g a lood test

The result is gi e to ou as a esi ate of the
ha e of our a ha i g a hro oso e
o diio su h as Do s dro e


It ide iies arou d % of a ies ith Do
s dro e

Ide iies
% of a ies ith a eural
tu e defe t

Does ot pose a health risk to ou or our
a .

Figure 5. : Photograph of an ultrasound s an taken at
weeks of pregnan y showing the nu hal translu en y, the
luid illed spa e at the a k of the a y’s ne k.

Se o d tri ester ultrasou d:
 Is do e et ee
eeks of preg a
 Is a safe a of he ki g our a s gro th
a d de elop e t
 Ma ide if sot arkers that, although do

ot i di ate a ph si al pro le
ith our a ,
a i rease the risk that the a
has a
hro oso e o diio
 I a s all u
er of ases a ide if that
our a
has a ge ei o diio or so e
other health or de elop e tal pro le
 Does ot pose a
health risk to ou or our
a .
If a s ree i g test result sho s that our a
a
ha e a pro le , ou a d our part er ill e
gi e as u h i for aio as possi le a out the
o diio i ludi g the i pli aio s it ight ha e
for our a s future health a d de elop e t.
You a also dis uss hether a further tesi g

a help ou u dersta d the situaio .
It is i porta t to ote that a i reased risk result
does ot ea our a
ill dei itel ha e a
hro oso e o diio . Like ise, if our result is
ot i the i reased risk ategor , our a
ould
sill ha e a hro oso e or other health o diio .
Your do tor, id ife or ge ei ou sellor a
i for
ou a out the relia ilit of ea h s ree i g
test for Do
s dro e a d other hro oso e
o diio s.

Whether or ot you de ide to ha e a pre atal s ree i g test, other sta dard preg a y are
should e follo ed as re o
e ded a d o sidered ith your do tor or id ife.

.ge ei s.edu.au

Updated

Page of
Septe er