Prenatal Tests and Ultrasound

You've discovered that you or someone you care about is pregnant. After that initial rush of excitement, you start to have a lot of questions. Is the baby healthy? Is he or she growing well? From the moment a woman suspects that she is pregnant, the testing begins, and so do the questions. Can she trust the home pregnancy test kits? When is it time to go to the doctor or midwife? After coming to terms with the fact that pregnancy has occurred, the next step is often to worry about whether everything is progressing normally. With this book, expectant parents will find a clear timeline and explanation of all the tests they can expect to receive at each stage of pregnancy, as well as how and why they are performed, and the risks involved. This book clarifies the pros and cons of each type of test, enabling parents to choose the testing options with which they are most comfortable. It does this in a positive, factual way so as not to exacerbate fears or implant worries in parents' minds of all the worst-case scenarios. Prenatal Tests and Ultrasound: The Facts is an invaluable source of information for expectant parents and their friends and families, and will also be of interest to professionals in general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology, and midwifery.

- Preface - Glossary of Terms - 1: Diagnosing pregnancy - 2: Genetic screening of the parents - 3: Genetic screening of the fetus - 4: Genetic testing of the fetus - 5: General prenatal testing - - 7: Early first trimester ultrasound - 8: The nuchal translucency scan: 11-13 weeks - 9: The anatomy scan: 18-20 weeks - 10: Third trimester ultrasound and NST - 11: Options if an abnormality is found - 12: More frequently asked questions - Appendix: Additional resources