Prenatal Diagnostic Procedures
Diagnostic tests performed during the mother’s pregnancy; are tests by which definitive diagnosis can be made against any health condition. It is applied in the most common way during pregnancy when there is a risk of chromosomal anomaly. Some cases where diagnostic testing is applied:
It is applied in pregnancies that are found to be risky in the fetal DNA test.
It is applied in pregnancies detected with high risk in double tests.
Diagnostic tests are applied in pregnancies detected with an advanced risk in quadruple tests.
Diagnostic testing is applied in cases where sufficient data cannot be obtained in screenings performed in the mother’s womb.
Test is applied in pregnancies with anomaly risk detected in the ultrasound.
What Are Diagnostic Procedures?
Diagnostic procedures can be applied with different methods.
These are :
Chorionic villus biopsy CVS: It is the process of taking sample from the baby’s placenta. It is done between the 11th and 14th weeks of pregnancy.
Amniocentesis: is a diagnostic procedure performed by taking samples from the fluid sac in which the baby lives. It is performed in the 16th and 22nd week of pregnancy.
Cordonsynthesis: is the blood sample taken from the baby’s umbilical cord. It is performed in the 20th and subsequent weeks of pregnancy.
Fetal skin biopsy: It is a sample taken from the baby’s skin. It is performed in case of life-threatening skin diseases that are suspected to affect the fetus.
Amniocentesis
It is the operation done first by entering from the abdomen with a thin needle in sterile (germ-free) conditions under ultrasonography, then passing through the uterine wall, and termination of the procedure by taking a small amount (10-20 ml) of the liquid present in the sac containing the fetus (baby in the womb).
Cordocentesis
It is the operation done in sterile (germ-free) conditions with ultrasonography; which is done primarily by doing local anesthesia to numb the skin then entering the abdomen with a thin needle, later on passing the uterine wall afterwards entering into the cord from the appropriate location of the fetus umbilical cord, usually from the point where it joins with the placenta or less often from its free zone, termination of the procedure by taking a fetal blood sample (usually 2-3 ml). The amount of blood taken may increase according to the examinations to be made.
Chorionic Villus Sampling
After preparation is done under sterile conditions, local anesthesia is applied to the determined abdominal area. It is the operation in sterile (germ-free) conditions under ultrasonography done first by entering from the abdomen with a thin needle, then passing through the uterine wall, and termination of the procedure by taking a small piece from the placenta of the fetus (baby in the womb) which would not affect it.