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The Quad Screen is a screening test for babies with Down Syndrome, other chromosomal disorders or neural tube defects such as spina bifida. It calculates your risk of having a baby with one of these disorders based on your age, race, how far along you are, and the levels of four hormones in your blood. The test measures the levels of alpha-feto protein (AFP), unconjugated estriol, inhibin-A, and human chorionic gonadotropin. It cannot tell you for certain if your baby has one of these disorders, only how high your risk is. When will I have the Quad Screen? The Quad Screen is a blood test drawn between the 15th to 20th week of your pregnancy. Do I need to have the Quad Screen? No. This is a voluntary test that is offered to all pregnant women. It is up to you whether or not you want to do it. What if my test comes back abnormal? If your test comes back that you have an increased risk of having a baby with Down Syndrome, we will arrange for you to meet with genetic counselors at Mercy Medical Center to discuss the test results. You will then have a thorough ultrasound to see if your baby looks like it has Down Syndrome. Babies with Down Syndrome often have certain characteristics that we can see on ultrasound like a heart defect or a certain way the hand or feet are held. You will also be offered an amniocentesis, which is when they put a needle in through your belly into your uterus and take out a small amount of amniotic fluid. This is sent to the lab and the baby’s chromosomes are tested. If your test comes back that you have an increased risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida (or a hole in the spine), you will also meet with the genetic counselors at Mercy Medical center to discuss the results. You will have a thorough ultrasound done that will look carefully at the spine as well as the rest of the baby. You will be offered an amniocentesis to help determine if there is a problem. Are there other reasons for abnormal test results? Yes. If we're not sure how far along you are in your pregnancy, the test results may be abnormal. An ultrasound will confirm how far along you are, and the test can be drawn again. |
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Dundalk ● Baltimore ● Catonsville | Tel. 410-633-6300 | info@hoffmanobgyn.com |
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