Question

A 39-year-old woman is in her sixth week of pregnancy. Due to her advanced age, she is at higher risk for having a baby with Down's syndrome than younger pregnant women. She would like to find out as early as possible whether or not her baby has Down's syndrome. Her doctor should suggest:

Answer 1

Answer:

Her doctor should suggest that she waits until she is at 24 weeks and more before she can test effectively with low risk

Explanation:

Tests used for Down’s syndrome involve testing fluid from around the baby (amniocentesis) or tissue from the placenta (chorionic villus sampling (CVS) for the abnormal chromosomes associated with Down syndrome. Both these tests involve inserting needles through the mothers abdomen which increases risk of miscarriage especially at 6 weeks, however, they are more reliable.

Other tests are screening tests and include urine and blood testing or ultrasound - based on research these are only viable after 24 weeks but as a screening tool, which means these tests may miss The Down syndrome or Show a high risk for Down’s syndrome. If “high risk” is a result of the screening, mothers can then opt for the option of amniocentesis or CVS test with lower risk of miscarriage.