Health Center - Fertility
Have you been having a hard time getting pregnant? Trouble conceiving can be stressful on both you and your relationship—and the options can be confusing. Learn more about coping with infertility and the many reproductive technologies and specialists available to help. Get the information and support you need to make educated decisions.
5 Ways to Prepare for Pregnancy
But a major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2005 found that screening in the first trimester with an ultrasound and blood test can identify most fetuses with Down syndrome between the 11th and 13th weeks of pregnancy, allowing women to decide what they want to do earlier in their pregnancy.
The blood tests measure levels of certain proteins and hormones that could indicate Down's, while the ultrasound assesses the thickness of the fetus' neck, called the nuchal translucency. By learning of her risk in the first trimester, often before she even starts showing or telling people about her pregnancy, a woman has more privacy to make her decision and, if she decides to continue the pregnancy, more time to grow accustomed to the idea of having a child with Down syndrome, says Dr. Wu.
