“The more conditions you include, the greater the chance that you would find a condition in which you’re a carrier,” cautioned Dr. Keep in mind, too, that the number of conditions you screen for is up to you, but more is not always better. While this knowledge may be enough for some people, others may find the uncertainty stressful. One major drawback to carrier screening tests, according to Blair Stevens, M.S., a licensed genetic counselor specializing in prenatal and reproductive genetics at the University of Texas, is that they won’t tell you with certainty whether your baby has a given genetic condition - only her risk for it. Cystic fibrosis, which damages a baby’s lungs and digestive system, is one of the most common genetic disorders, and therefore testing for it is often recommended early in pregnancy. You might also screen for genetic conditions you know run in your family, such as Huntington’s disease. Sickle cell disease, for example, is more common in people of African descent and conditions like Gaucher disease, Niemann-Pick disease and Tay-Sachs disease are more common in people with Eastern European or Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
Often, your decision to test will be based on your family history or ethnicity. Before your pregnancy or during your first trimester, your doctor might recommend a type of genetic blood test called carrier screening, which scans your DNA for genetic mutations associated with certain genetic disorders that you might pass on to your child. Mild anemia is common during pregnancy, but severe anemia can increase the risk that you will have a preterm delivery or a baby with low birth weight, according to the American Society of Hematology, so it’s important to test for it.Ĭonsider the pros and cons of genetic screening tests.Ĭarrier screening. When you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues, anemia can result. Check with your doctor about what is required.Īnemia. testing for pregnant women as a public health measure. If you’re younger than 25 or at high risk for some or all of these infections, your doctor will likely recommend testing. Hyagriv Simhan, M.D., a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Getting tested for S.T.I.s early can help prevent you from passing them on, said Dr.
It’s possible to pass certain S.T.I.s - such as H.I.V., chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or hepatitis B - to your baby (either during pregnancy or birth) potentially leading to a range of complications including miscarriage, preterm delivery, birth defects, blindness or newborn death. If you have an Rh incompatibility, your doctor might prescribe a vaccine-like medication called Rh immune-globulin, which halts your body’s production of these antibodies to protect your baby. An opposite Rh status probably won’t be an issue if it’s your first pregnancy, but the antibodies can stick around and attack a baby’s red blood cells in subsequent pregnancies, potentially causing life-threatening anemia for your baby. If you happen to have a different Rh status than your fetus -if you’re negative and your fetus is positive, for example - your body might view your baby’s red blood cells as foreign and produce antibodies to attack them. If your blood cells have this protein, you’re Rh positive (as most people are) if they don’t, you’re Rh negative. During your first trimester, screen for the basics.īetween nine and 10 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor will likely suggest that you get a blood test that checks for the following:
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