Being pregnant is quite a roller-coaster experience, most Moms would agree! While the joy and eager anticipation of bringing a new life into the world is amazing, the unavoidable worrying about the fetus' growth and health can become too much sometimes. Well, worry no further. Here are a few pregnancy tests that you should know of along this important journey of being a mother.
Carrier Genetic Screening:
Generally done at the early pregnancy period, this test is important to determine if the parent is a carrier for a potentially serious genetic disorder. Often parents show no symptoms of the disorders but are simply carriers and this test helps investigate for any suspected abnormalities. Family history, ethnicity, and other factors often are responsible for unexpected complications and this test helps in screening for them.
Rubella Immunity Test:
Vaccination again the rubella virus or the German measles are usually given to everyone at birth. So even if you haven’t been vaccinated against them, you can take the shot in your 8th week of pregnancy. Babies who get infected with German measles are usually at a high right of getting serious birth defects like deafness or blindness. However, if the expectant mother skips this vaccination for some reason, then it can still be given to the baby at the time of birth.
CVS or Chorionic Villus Sampling:
The main purpose of this test is to check for chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Generally, it is carried out in the 10-12th week of pregnancy. In this, a sample of the placenta tissue is taken out using a needle. The placenta tissue basically contains the genes of the baby and hence can be used to check for any abnormalities or defects. This test is usually recommended to those women who may have shown abnormal genetic screenings or have a history of birth defects.
Amniocentesis:
The amniocenteses test is generally conducted in the 16th week of pregnancy. It serves a similar purpose as the CVS. The amniotic fluid surrounds the fetus in the womb. This contains substances which provide vital information about the baby's health in the womb. Some of this liquid is retrieved with the help of a needle and ultrasound. This test can determine potential birth defects such as the Down Syndrome. This pregnancy test is the most accurate way to determine a baby's gender as well.
Group B Strep Test:
About 1 in 4 women test positive for this test. In such cases, antibiotics are given to minimize the risk of infection to the baby. Group B Streptococcus are bacteria that live in the body and do not cause serious illness. However, during pregnancy, it has the potential to cause illness in the baby. This test determines whether antibiotics should be given to counter this potential risk. Antibiotics reduce the chances of GBS from 1-in-200 to 1-in-4000. This pregnancy test is to be done in the 36th week.
Pregnancy can be a taxing time for most mothers. These tests not only gives you a systematic monitoring of the fetus for any potential illnesses but also gives you a little peace of mind.