Ultrasound …The three main ultrasounds are performed at 12, 19 and 34 weeks of pregnancy

At 12 weeks the nuchal transluscency (neck thickness) ultrasound screens for Down’s syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. If the result is considered high risk then further investigations may be required (such as CVS and amniocentesis).

The 19 week (or morphology) ultrasound assesses the anatomy of the baby as well as the position of the placenta in relation to the cervix. This is a more detailed ultrasound and some couples will have the opportunity to discover the gender of their baby if desired.

The 34 week ultrasound is to assess the size, growth, position, placenta and all anatomy including the cord blood flow and amniotic fluid.

NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Test)… This is a new test and extremely accurate and involves a simple blood test. It is conducted between 10 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. The purpose of this test is to screen your pregnancy for certain chromosomal abnormalities such as too many or too few copies (this is called an “Aneuploidy”) of chromosomes 21, 18, 13 as well as the sex chromosomes (X and Y) if this option is chosen. An addition option includes testing for trisomies (too many copies) of chromosomes 9 and 16 as well as microdeletions of certain chromosomes.