Down Syndrome Facts – 29 Facts About Down Syndrome

Interesting Facts About Down Syndrome

It is now possible to tell beforehand if the baby will have Down syndrome or not. There are two types of tests which are available today.

Screening test which only tells the risk of the baby having the Down syndrome.

Diagnostic test which confirms that the baby has or not has Down syndrome.

Serum tests are conducted between 15 and 20 weeks gestation on the mother. However latest and non invasive methods which are more accurate and can be done much earlier are also available. However they are only used in high risk pregnancy.

Screening tests involve scanning through ultrasound which can show physical traits which can be helpful in knowing the risks of the baby having Down syndrome. However they are not confirmatory and there have been cases of misdiagnosis in the past.

Diagnostic tests are more accurate and confirm the possibility of Down syndrome in the baby.There is three types of tests which are available today

CVS or Chorionic Villus Sampling which involves extracting a small piece of placenta and it is then analyzed. It is usually done in between 10 and 12 weeks.

Another method which is usually employed when the fetus is 14 to 20 weeks is to take a small sample of amniotic fluid and the cells in the fluid is analyzed.

Blood from the umbilical cord can be used for testing if the fetus is suffering from Down syndrome and is known as Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling or PUBS. It is usually employed when the fetus is 18 weeks.