chevron_rightThe maternal serum screening test is a blood test offered to pregnant women.
chevron_rightThe test may be performed at around 10 weeks (combined first-trimester screening test or double marker) or between 14 and
20 weeks (second-trimester maternal serum screening test or quadruple marker).
chevron_rightIt is a prenatal screening test using blood from the mother that can help identify women who may be carrying a baby with certain types of birth defects (such as neural tube defects, Down syndrome, Patau syndrome, and trisomy 18 syndrome).
chevron_rightThis test measures levels of proteins produced by the fetus or placenta.
chevron_rightIt measures levels of PP13, sFlt-1 and FSLT3, which play an important role in predicting late-onset preeclampsia, and the combination of these three markers significantly increases the detection rate for prediction.
chevron_rightIt is a compulsory screening test for all the pregnant women.
chevron_rightMaternal marker screening has advanced rapidly since AFP was first used to screen for NTDs. There are now a range of high performance tests available to screen for chromosomal abnormalities suiting localities with different financial restraints and availability of quality ultrasound.
Reporting/Features
Different types of Maternal serum markers are available in Sandor.
chevron_rightQuadruple Marker Beta hCG + AFP + uE3 + Inhibin A hormone value.
The results are combined with the womans age risk to give a final chance of Down syndrome, Edward syndrome
or neural tube defects. The result is reported as an increased chance or low-chance result.
Sample Requirement
chevron_right2-3ml blood.
Methodology
chevron_rightA modern fluorescent based immunoassay (Immunofluorometry method) uses as the detection reagent a fluorescent compound which absorbs light or energy (excitation energy) at a specific wavelength and then emits light or energy at a different wavelength.
Limitations
chevron_rightA Screening tests do not give definitive prenatal diagnosis, but do provide a risk/probability of a problem.
Further Test
If Positive Screening Test, Then further tests are :