Prenatal Testing

Your healthcare practitioner is likely to offer you a variety of different prenatal tests. These tests basically fall into two basic categories:

Screening tests that are designed to alert you to the possibility of a potential problem. These tests have a high rate of false positives. This means that the screening test indicates that there could be a problem, but subsequent diagnostic testing reveals that everything is fine.

Diagnostic tests that are designed to determine whether there is a problem or not. They pick up where screening tests leave off, providing you with more precise data. Diagnostic tests (e.g., chorionic villus screening, amniocentesis) tend to be more invasive than screening tests (blood tests) and, in some cases, can be riskier than screening tests. That's why healthcare providers tend to start out with screening tests (to see if you fall into a "higher risk group") and then offer you the option of further testing.

Prenatal testing is not necessary the right option for every pregnant woman. It’s generally considered a good option if you want to know about a potential problem ahead of time so you can

arrange to treat a particular medical condition during pregnancy or immediately after birth (assuming treatment is an option);

make arrangements to give birth in a facility with state-of-the-art neonatal care facilities so that your baby can receive the best possible care at birth;

prepare yourself for difficult news or to make difficult decisions based on what is discovered during the test (whether to carry your baby to term or to induce labor early, for example).

It’s important to realize, however, that prenatal testing doesn't offer any guarantees. It can’t detect all problems, nor can it tell you how severely your child might be affected by a particular condition. And you need to know that the decision to go for a prenatal screening test such as the quadruple screening test can ultimately lead to a series of more invasive and riskier procedures. (Procedures such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling carry with them a small risk of miscarriage.)

You should fully understand the purpose of all prenatal tests that your healthcare provider suggests. Make sure you fully discuss the pros and cons of each test and what options would be offered next if the test were to yield less-than-welcome results before you have the test. In a perfect world, your healthcare provider would automatically have this conversation with each patient about each test, but sometimes things get missed. Make sure you advocate for yourself if your healthcare provider is having a busy day and forgets to fully explain what that "routine blood test" is all about. You need to know, for the sake of your own health as well as that of your baby-to-be.