First Trimester Screening - Bloods
First Trimester Screening:
First trimester screening (FTS) is the most accurate way of estimating the chances of your baby having a chromosomal problem and is carried out between 11 – 13 weeks gestation.
The first trimester screening is a combination of two blood tests and a special ultrasound (NT) that are used to assess a pregnant woman's risk of carrying a baby with Downs Syndrome (trisomy 21) or Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18).
- Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is a protein produced first by the growing placenta. During a normal pregnancy, levels of this protein increase in the pregnant woman's blood until delivery.
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced during pregnancy in large quantities by the placenta.
- Nuchal translucency (NT) is measurement made by ultrasound. The gynaecologist measures the fluid collection between the spine and the skin at the nape of the fetus's neck. It is a procedure that requires a specially trained gynecologist, proper alignment of the fetus, and careful measurement. It is not a routine ultrasound, and it is not a procedure that is available at every hospital or health facility.
How is the sample collected for testing?
Blood is drawn from a vein in the woman's arm. One vile covers the two tests.
Pappa-A / BhCG: €125
Nuchal Translucency (NT) Ultrasound: €220