To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Test Identifies Birth Defects In First Trimester Of Pregnancy URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1DB7CE.htm Doctor's Guide August 1, 2000
HUNTINGTON STATION, NY -- August 1, 2000 -- A study in the August 2000, issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that a new screening test which combines a blood test and an ultrasound exam can identify over 90 percent of cases of Down syndrome in the first trimester of pregnancy. This early screening test is an alternative to the commonly used "Triple Test" and has the advantage of being performed six to eight weeks earlier in pregnancy while detecting more cases of Down syndrome. Down syndrome is one of the most common birth defects, affecting about one in every 600 new-born babies. Patients in the study underwent an ultrasound exam in which the amount of fluid accumulation behind the neck of the baby, called nuchal translucency, was measured. Additionally, a blood test was performed on each patient in which two chemicals called free Beta hCG and PAPP-A were measured. The results of the ultrasound measurement and blood test were then entered into a mathematical formula to determine the risk that the patient was carrying a baby with Down syndrome. The screening test identifies approximately 5 percent of patients most at risk for Down syndrome. These increased-risk patients are then offered a diagnostic procedure, such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, which can determine, definitively, if the patient is carrying a baby with Down syndrome. The study showed that 91 percent of women carrying a baby with Down syndrome were in the increased-risk group. The advantages of the new test, marketed as Ultrascreen® by NTD Laboratories, Huntington Station, New York, include increased detection of Down syndrome, earlier reassurance to pregnant women who have normal test results, more time and more diagnostic options for patients with increased risk results, and the ability to detect Down syndrome cases in patients destined to have a miscarriage. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.