Mother’s Day 2024: Importance of maternal health screenings for expectant mothers

Mother’s Day 2024: Importance of maternal health screenings for expectant mothers

Mother's Day 2024: According to expert, antenatal tests (tests done during pregnancy) have advanced and are broadly categorised as screening tests that can detect the possibility of a problem and diagnostic tests that can accurately confirm a disease/ condition in the fetus. A screening test is sometimes followed by a diagnostic test

During the first trimester of pregnancy, that is till 12 weeks of gestation, ideally all pregnant women should be screened by a blood test (dual marker) for genetic disease (Image: Pexels)

New Delhi: Life’s biggest miracle is the gift of having life growing inside a mother’s womb. Most mothers agree that pregnancy is a period of excitement as well as apprehension whether all is well with herself and the baby. From the time of conception, till you see your baby’s eyes, no pregnancy is the same.

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, Dr Heloise Stanley, Laboratory Head, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd (Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan) spoke about the importance of maternal health screenings for expectant mothers News9 and said, “Antenatal tests (tests done during pregnancy) have advanced and are broadly categorised as screening tests that can detect the possibility of a problem and diagnostic tests that can accurately confirm a disease/ condition in the fetus. A screening test is sometimes followed by a diagnostic test.”

A timely first visit to a gynaecologist post-confirmation of pregnancy is recommended for a detailed clinical examination as well as recording certain health parameters i.e., Hemoglobin, random blood sugar & TSH levels, and certain tests which can potentially detect a disease i.e., blood group, viral markers, urine examination, VDRL and abnormal Hemoglobins if other tests and history indicate.

Why blood test screening is needed in the first trimester of pregnancy?

“During the first trimester of pregnancy, that is till 12 weeks of gestation, ideally all pregnant women should be screened by a blood test (dual marker) for genetic diseases like Down’s, Edward and Patau syndromes in the foetus which is done along with a radiology-based test (NT scan),” said Dr Stanley. If not done, one should go ahead with a Quadruple marker screening done in 14-22 weeks. Advancements in science have brought in a highly sensitive test called the Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening Test (NIPT) which can be done between 11-17 weeks with the highest detection rate (>95 per cent sensitivity & specificity) for above mentioned genetic diseases.

How they can lead to healthier pregnancies

In some cases where an abnormality is suspected a gynaecologist may recommend confirmation of genetic disease through an invasive test done on chorionic villus/ amniotic fluid between 14-18 weeks i.e., karyotyping, FISH, and chromosomal microarray.

Meanwhile, the focus on maternal health should also be emphasised since the outcome of delivery depends upon her well-being. According to Dr Stanley, “Abnormally high blood pressure or impaired glucose levels if not followed up may deter fetal outcomes by preterm labour and other complications. The Placental growth factor test is a screening test done for Pre-eclampsia in the first trimester. Impaired glucose levels detected anytime during pregnancy also warrant a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) ideally done between 24-28 weeks for confirmation of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.” Ultimately, all these investigations are part & parcel of an expectant mother’s nine-month-old journey till she sees her baby’s eyes.