A new combination test which includes an ultrasound and blood test can accurately detect whether a pregnant woman is carrying a baby with Down Syndrome. According to the National Institutes of Health (USA), this procedure picks of 87% of cases after carrying out a study on 38,000 women.
You can read about this study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Approximately one in every 800 babies has Down Syndrome.
This new test measures the size of the fluid gap in the fetus’ neck (ultrasound) – there is also a blood test.
What is Down Syndrome?
A Down Syndrome person has an extra chromosome. Normally, we have 46 chromosomes, 23 from our mothers and 23 from our fathers. A Down Syndrome person has 47 chromosomes. This disrupts the growth and development of a Down Syndrome baby.
A child with Down Syndrome will have learning difficulties – he/she will not be able to learn things at the same rate as someone of his/her age.
There are 3 categories of Down Syndrome.
1. Standard Trisomy 21. The most common. 95% of people with Down Syndrome are in this category.
2. Translocation. It is inherited from the mother or father. 1% of Down Syndrome people are in this category.
3. Mosaic Down Syndrome. The extra chromosome appears in only some of the cells.
The older a pregnant woman is, the higher her chances of having a baby with Down Syndrome. The chances are more significant when the pregnant woman is over 35.
People with Down Syndrome commonly have heart problems. These problems can usually be corrected with surgery.
Despite their challenges, people with Down Syndrome are very loving, they can go to regular schools, have friends, enjoy life and have jobs when they are adults.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today