Triple screening is a blood test done to measure the levels of 3 kinds of substances or hormones in the blood. They are called the alpha fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin and unconjugated estriol. The result helps your doctor to see whether your baby is at a higher risk of having certain birth defects such as neural tube defects and Downs syndrome.
The test is routinely done in most of centers but not all are in favor of doing this test because it does not give absolute test result; it may suggest that there is a possibility of having an abnormal baby. The test is done in around 14 to 18 weeks. If the test result is abnormal then the doctor goes ahead and does other tests like ultrasound to make sure of the date of pregnancy, and monitors the baby’s brain, spinal cord, heart and kidneys. The second test done is known as amniocentesis - a sample of water surrounding the baby is removed and checked for abnormality.
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