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Antenatal scans and screening
Pregnancy care
Screening is a way of finding out if people have a higher chance of having a health problem, so that early treatment can be offered or information given to help them make informed decisions.
The aim is to offer screening to the people who are most likely to benefit from it. For example, some screening tests are only offered to newborn babies, while others such as an anomaly scan would be offered to a pregnant person.
If you get a normal result after a screening test (a "screen negative" result), this means you are at low risk of having the condition you were screened for.
If you have a higher-risk result (a "screen positive" result), it means you may have the condition that you've been tested for. At this point, you will be offered further tests called diagnostic tests to confirm if you have the condition. You can then be offered treatment, advice and support.
Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective. However, screening tests are not perfect and they can lead to difficult decisions about having further tests or treatment.
You do not have to have any of the screening tests, it is a personal choice.
Please look at ‘Screening tests offered for you and your baby’ for further information and
Screening tests for you and your baby.
At your first antenatal appointment, your community midwife will offer screening for:
- sickle cell and thalassemia
- HIV
- hepatitis B
- syphilis
Tests usually take place at this appointment, alternatively you will be booked to attend a clinic close to your home.
It is your choice if you have the screening tests or not. You can opt to have some tests and not others; this is a personal choice and one which only you can make.
You have the opportunity to discuss each test we offer you with your midwife, the sonographer or your doctor, and decide based on your own circumstances.
You will be offered this screening test when you book with your community midwife to find out if you carry the gene for sickle cell and thalassaemia. It is a blood test taken from your arm.
If you carry a gene for these conditions, it does not mean you have the condition, but we will discuss with you offering the same screening test to the biological father of the baby. If you are both carriers there is a chance the baby will inherit the gene from both of you and have the condition.
Please see the links below for further information on the conditions and inheritance:
Sickle cell and thalassaemia - GOV.UK
Sickle cell and thalassaemia (English)
If you know that you are a gene carrier for sickle cell or thalassaemia gene please let you midwife know at your booking appointment.
If you know that you and the biological father of your baby are a gene carrier of sickle or thalassaemia please contact the screening team on 07768850609.
If your screening results are normal your community midwife will discuss them with you at your 16 week appointment.
If your screening result shows that you are a carrier or have the a sickle cell or thalassaemia condition, you will be contacted by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team to offer an appointment to discuss the result and further testing options for you and the biological father of the baby.
You will be offered this screening test when you book with your community midwife to find out if you have hepatitis B, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or syphilis. It is a blood test taken from your arm.
Women who are living with HIV or hepatitis B need early specialist appointments to plan their care in pregnancy.
Syphilis is an infection that can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. If it is untreated, it can result in serious health problems for a baby or cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
Please see the links below for further information on the conditions and treatments:
Infectious diseases in pregnancy (English)
If you know you are living with HIV or hepatitis B please let your community midwife know at booking and contact the screening team on 01183227292.
If you have had in the past, or are currently undergoing treatment for syphilis please let your midwife know at your booking appointment.
If your screening result shows that you have Hepatits B, HIV or syphilis you will be contacted by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team to offer an appointment to discuss the result and further treatment options.
You will be offered this screening test between 11 weeks and 2 days and 14 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy. The test is an ultrasound scan measuring the fluid at the back of your baby’s neck also known as the nuchal translucency (NT), and a blood test taken from your arm.
Screening is your choice. You do not have to have the screening test. Some people want to find out if their baby has one of the conditions and some do not. Screening is not perfect and might provide an incorrect result. It may lead to personal choices about your pregnancy.
If you choose to have screening, you can be screened for:
· all 3 conditions
· Down’s syndrome only
· Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome only
This screening will be offered if you’re having one baby or twins.
Please see the links below for further information on the conditions and screening test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoX4pxdjSs
Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome - GOV.UK
If you had IVF to become pregnant please bring your IVF details with you, as we will need this information to provide a result from this screening test.
If the result shows that your baby is lower chance of having any of the conditions you have consented to, you will receive a letter.
If the results show your baby has a higher chance of having any of the conditions you have consented to you will be contacted directly by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team to offer an appointment to discuss the result and give you further information and explain further testing choices.
Your choices after a higher chance screening result - GOV.UK
Support organisations:
ARC is a national charity that provides support for people making decisions about screening and diagnosis and whether to continue a pregnancy. You can call them on 020 713 7486.
DSA (the Down’s Syndrome Association) provides information and support for parents. You can call them on 0333 12 12 300.
SOFT provides information and support to families about Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome.
If at scan you are found to be more than 14 weeks and 1 day to 20 weeks and 0 days pregnant, or the sonographer (the person doing the ultrasound scan) is unable to accurately measure the fluid at the back of your baby’s neck (because of the position the baby is in), you will be offered a Quadruple test. A Quadruple test screens for Downs syndrome.
If at scan you are found to be more than 14 weeks and 1 day to 20 weeks and 0 days pregnant, or the sonographer (the person doing the ultrasound scan) is unable to get the measurements of the baby needed (because of the position the baby is in), you will be offered a Quadruple test. The test is an ultrasound scan and a blood test taken from your arm.
A Quadruple test screens for Downs syndrome. Your baby will be screened for Edwards syndrome and Pataus’ syndrome during the anomaly ultrasound scan done at 18 weeks and 0 days to 20 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy.
This screening will be offered if you’re having one baby or twins
Please see the links below for further information on the conditions and screening test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoX4pxdjSs
Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome - GOV.UK
If you had IVF to become pregnant please bring your IVF details with you, as we will need this information to provide a result from this screening test.
If the result shows that your baby is lower chance of having any of the conditions you have consented to, you will receive a letter.
If the results show your baby has a higher chance of having any of the conditions you have consented to you will be contacted directly by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team to offer an appointment to discuss the result and give you further information and explain further testing choices.
Your choices after a higher chance screening result - GOV.UK
Support organisations
ARC is a national charity that provides support for people making decisions about screening and diagnosis and whether to continue a pregnancy. You can call them on 020 713 7486.
DSA (the Down’s Syndrome Association) provides information and support for parents. You can call them on 0333 12 12 300.
SOFT provides information and support to families about Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome.
Non-invasive prenatal testing is offered to women who have had a higher chance result from either a combined screening test or a quadruple test.
It is a second screening test that is more accurate than a combined screening test or a quadruple screening test. It is a blood test taken from your arm, which measures DNA (genetic material) in your blood.
Some of this DNA will be from the baby’s placenta. If there is more DNA than expected from chromosomes 21, 18 or 13 it may mean that your baby has Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome or Patau’s syndrome. Like every screening test, though, it does not give a definite answer. NIPT cannot harm your baby. Most women will get their result within 2 weeks.
This screening will be offered if you’re having one baby or twins.
The antenatal and newborn screening team would discuss with you if you were able to have this test following a higher chance combined or quadruple screening test result.
Please see the links below for further information on the conditions and screening test
Your choices after a higher chance screening result - GOV.UK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoX4pxdjSs
Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome - GOV.UK
The results from this test will be given to you by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team. If the results show your baby has a higher chance of having any of the conditions you have consented to being tested for, you will be contacted directly by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team to offer an appointment to discuss the result and give you further information and explain further testing choices.
Non-invasive prenatal testing is also offered to women who have had a previous pregnancy where their baby had a confirmed diagnosis of Downs syndrome, Edwards syndrome or Pataus’ syndrome. Please contact the screening team to discuss your screening options on 07768752563.
Support organisations
ARC is a national charity that provides support for people making decisions about screening and diagnosis and whether to continue a pregnancy. You can call them on 020 713 7486.
DSA (the Down’s Syndrome Association) provides information and support for parents. You can call them on 0333 12 12 300.
SOFT provides information and support to families about Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis are diagnostic tests. Diagnostic tests can tell if your baby definitely has a serious condition by checking their chromosomes for genetic information. They test cells form the placenta (CVS) or fluid surrounding the baby (Amniocentesis).
These tests are offered following a higher chance result from a combined screening test, a quadruple screening test or non-invasive prenatal testing (if you have had a lower chance result from a non-invasive prenatal test you will not be offered a CVS or Amniocentesis).
Please see the links below for further information
CVS and amniocentesis diagnostic tests: description in brief - GOV.UK
The results from this test will be given to you by a member of the Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team. Following the diagnostic test result, you may need to decide what to do next. Only you know what is the best decision for you and your family.
These diagnostic tests are also offered to women who have had a previous pregnancy where their baby had a confirmed diagnosis of Downs syndrome, Edwards syndrome or Pataus’ syndrome. Please contact the screening team to discuss your screening options on 07768752563.
This scan is carried out between 18 weeks and 0 days to 20 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. It is screening test to detected 11 different conditions in your baby. It cannot find everything that might be wrong.
For further information please see:
Screening in pregnancy: 20-week screening scan - GOV.UK
11 physical conditions (20-week scan) - GOV.UK
Sometimes it is not possible to view all the images of your baby that is needed to complete the anomaly ultrasound scan and you will be asked to return for one more scan; we aim to complete your baby’s scan by 23 weeks and 0 days.
You will be told at the ultrasound scan if your baby appears to be developing as normal.
If a condition is found or suspected you will be referred to our fetal medicine unit here at the hospital. We aim to provide you with an appointment within 3 working days of your scan. You will also be contacted by a member of the fetal medicine team to provide support to you and information relevant to the condition.