Q I'm 38 and newly pregnant. I hear...

Q I'm 38 and newly pregnant. I hear there are a parcel of options to see if I am having a healthy baby, further the more I read, the more confused I learn

A. One-third of pregnancies today happen in women over 35. however the odds of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality increase with the mother's age, young women should also consider screening. Any woman can have a chromosomally abnormal baby.

First-trimester screening is a risk-free first degree Maternal blood is analyzed along with an early ultrasound measuring an area of the baby's neck called "the nuchal translucency." If the comes are normal, there is a 90 percent assurance the baby does not have united of the most common chromosomal abnormalities. A positive cloak indicates the risk is high enough to consider further screening

At 11 to 12 weeks into the pregnancy, chorionic villus sampling can be performed. Placental tissue is obtained either by way of inserting a tiny catheter by means of the cervix or a needle transabdominally. Generally CV is performed forward women whose first-trimester screening produc an abnormal spring or in women 35 years or older who want 100 percent certainty that their pregnancy is chromosomally normal.

mostly women are familiar with amniocentesis, generally performed at 15 to 16 weeks. Using ultrasonic guidance, the obstetrician introduces a thin needle into the amniotic sac in order to obtain fluid containing confined apartments that have been shed from the developing fetus. fresh techniques allow faster results (within 24 to 48 hours) to ascertain the most common chromosomal abnormalities.

Alpha feto protein is a line test performed from 15 to 18 weeks' gestation. AFP was originally intended to riddle for neural tube defects of that kind as anencephaly and spina bifida. A high AFP is an indication that a neurological deficiency may be present. Women with a cheap AFP have an increased risk of a baby with a chromosomal abnormality of that kind as Down syndrome. AFP is not as accurate as first- trimester screening, since the "triple screen" common form of the test, has single a 60 percent confidence rate of detecting Down syndrome Dr Eugene Pergament, a medical geneticist, has the solitary program in Chicago that combines AFP with FT proceeds considered the most accurate, non-invasive way to determine the likelihood of Down syndrome

Many women who forgo screening substitute a "Level 2" ultrasound. These high-level ultrasounds turn the thoughts at growth and development of the major organ bodys and can't be accurately performed until 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

A normal ultrasound is no guarantee of a healthy baby. Many children with chromosomal enigmas do not have detectable structural abnormalities. More detailed information in succession genetic screening may be set at www.genecare.com. It's always a pious idea to meet with a medical geneticist to understand all your options and make the chiefly appropriate choice for you.

Lauren Streicher, MD practices at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her row appears every other Friday. E-mail her at drstreicher@suntimes.com.

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