Prenatal Testing

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Basics

• Summary
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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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Summary

Prenatal testing provides information about your baby's health before he or she is born. Some routine tests during pregnancy also check on your health. At your first prenatal visit, your health care provider will test for a number of things, including problems with your blood, signs of infections, and whether you are immune to rubella (German measles) and chickenpox.

Throughout your pregnancy, your health care provider may suggest a number of other tests, too. Some tests are suggested for all women, such as screenings for gestational diabetes, Down syndrome, and HIV. Other tests might be offered based on your:

• Age
• Personal or family medical history
• Ethnic background
• Results of routine tests

There are two types of tests:

• Screening tests are tests that are done to see if you or your baby might have certain problems. They evaluate risk, but do not diagnose problems. If your screening test result is abnormal, it does not mean that there is a problem. It means that more information is needed. Your health care provider can explain what the test results mean and possible next steps. You may need diagnostic testing.
• Diagnostic tests show whether or not you or your baby have a certain problem.

It is your choice whether or not to get the prenatal tests. You and your health care provider can discuss the risks and benefits of the tests, and what kind of information the tests can give you. Then you can decide which ones are right for you.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

Start Here

• Prenatal Genetic Screening Tests (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• Prenatal Panel (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Prenatal Tests: FAQs (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What Tests Might I Need during Pregnancy? (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Amniocentesis (amniotic fluid test) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Blood Glucose Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Cystic Fibrosis: Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• Down Syndrome Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Glucose in Urine Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Karyotype Genetic Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Nonstress Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Obstetric Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Screening (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Red Blood Cell Antibody Screen (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Rh Factor Blood Test (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Strep B Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Images

• Amniocentesis - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Chorionic villus sampling - series -- Normal anatomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Prenatal ultrasound - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Amniocentesis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Chorionic Villi Sampling (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Prenatal Ultrasound (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Prenatal diagnosis of fetal skeletal anomalies via whole-exome sequencing in a...
• Article: Prenatal genetic investigation in pregnancies with oligohydramnios: Results from a single...
• Article: Perceived Impact of Healthcare Relationships and Interactions on Parental Experiences of...
• Prenatal Testing -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
• March of Dimes Foundation Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Alpha fetoprotein (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Amniocentesis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Chorionic villus sampling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Monitoring your baby before labor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Nuchal translucency test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Quadruple screen test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Ultrasound pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish