Your screening choices

Throughout your pregnancy, you will be offered a number of screening tests to check the health of you and your baby. It is your choice whether you want to have the tests and your community midwife will be able to answer any questions or concerns you have before you make a decision.

Routine screening blood tests (by 10 weeks)

During your first appointment with the midwife, we will ask your permission to take a blood and urine sample for routine screening. This is so that we can check your blood group and also test for a variety of conditions including:

• Anaemia
• Diabetes
• Sickle cell and thalassemia disease
• HIV
• Hepatitis B
• Syphilis
• Urine for infection

Ultrasound scans

You will be offered two scans:

• one early in pregnancy between approximately 11–14 weeks (dating scan or combined screening scan) 
• and another at 18–21 weeks (anomaly scan) to check the growth of your baby and look for any signs of abnormality.

You are welcome to bring someone with you when you come for your scan. Further scans are only arranged if there is a clinical need, either the doctor or midwife will explain if this should occur.

Antenatal screening for Down’s Syndrome, Edwards’ and Patau’s

Screening for Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s Syndrome is offered to all pregnant women of all ages. The screening tests provide information about the chance of a baby with these conditions. These tests use blood samples taken from the mother and measurements taken from ultrasound scans, to work out this chance. The test you will be offered depends on how many weeks pregnant you are. This will either be a combined screening test or a quadruple test. The quadruple test only screens for Down’s Syndrome and not Edwards’ or Patau’s.

If you do receive a higher risk result from a screening test, your midwife or doctor will give you further information and support. You will be offered a diagnostic test that can tell you definitely whether your baby has Down's, Edwards’ or Patau’s Syndrome or not.

There are two diagnostic tests available:

• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) which can be performed once you are at least 11 weeks pregnant
• Amniocentesis: which is usually carried out between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy

Further information is available from the Screening Tests for You and Your Baby leaflet and the Trust information leaflets. It is important that you read this leaflet and discuss these screening tests with your midwife or obstetrician.

In addition to the above, you may be offered additional screening tests if your midwife or doctor believes they will help them to monitor the health and wellbeing of your baby.