Purpose
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines currently recommend that all pregnant women, regardless of age, be offered invasive testing to obtain a definitive diagnosis of certain birth defects. Therefore, most physicians offer diagnostic testing to all their patients, with or without prior screening and let the patient decide. Also, the ACOG recommends genetic screening before pregnancy to all women planning to have a family.
The following are some reasons why a patient might consider her risk of birth defects already to be high enough to warrant skipping screening and going straight for invasive testing.
- Women over the age of 35
- Women who have previously had premature babies or babies with a birth defect, especially heart or genetic problems Women who have high blood pressure, lupus, diabetes, asthma, or epilepsy
Women who have family histories or ethnic backgrounds prone to genetic disorders, or whose partners have these Women who are pregnant with multiples (twins or more)
Women who have previously had miscarriages