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Screening and Diagnostic Testing Many tests are offered to women during their pregnancies, and it is easy to get confused about what the tests are telling you, and whether you want to have a particular test.
One important distinction is between screening tests and diagnostic tests. Diagnostic tests include amniocentesis and chorion villus sampling. These give a definite answer about whether your baby has certain conditions - for example, Down's syndrome.
However, not everyone is offered a diagnostic test. This is because diagnostic tests can be risky. For example, for every 100 women given an amniocentesis, sadly one will have a miscarriage.
The alternative to going straight into a diagnostic test is to have a screening test first. These are increasingly offered to all pregnant women. The main type of screening test is a blood serum test and it carries no risk to mother or baby. In most cases, serum tests will not give a definite answer. For example, a serum test for Down's syndrome will only tell you whether you have a higher risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome. It will not tell you definitely, and if you have a positive result from a serum test, you will be offered an amniocentesis to find out if the baby has Down's syndrome.
Nobody has to have a screening test, or a diagnostic test. It is up to you to decide what you want to do with your pregnancy, and how much information you want about your baby. To listen to the experience of women who have had testing in pregnancy go to the Dipex website.
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