Blog #6 Why Should Prenatal Testing be Routine for All Pregnant Women?

Deciding to have children is a huge decision and with this decision is deciding to ensure both the safety of the mother and the unborn baby. Prenatal testing should be routine for all mothers because the potential risk for the baby to be born with some sort of birth defects, genetic defects, or even the potential risk of having disease etc. is a very high possibility. Prenatal testing is not only important for the baby but also for the mother because there could be potential health risks that could affect the mother and her health. There are many agents that can cause birth defects such as a family history, environmental agents, but many are unexplained. 60% of children who are diagnosed with some form of birth defect are unexplained (American Pregnancy Association, 2010). This is a very high rate of children being born with birth defects that are    unexplained which is why it is so important to get prenatal testing. Tests should be taken before a couple becomes pregnant to assess their health and the likelihood of having a child with birth defects, as well as taking the proper test during each trimester. Some examples of prenatal testing are: First Trimester Screen, Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS), and Quad Screen, to name of few.  For example the CVS testing is used to determine if there are any chromosomal abnormalities due to family history, or if there is a potential risk. The CVS testing has a 98%-99% accuracy level (American Pregnancy Association, 2010). This is a very high detection rate which can help a couple make the decisions that are right for them. Prenatal testing is not only good for the baby and the mother but also for the couple to assess if they have the financial income, or resources to care for a child who may be born with birth defects. These are no easy decisions which are why planning a pregnancy and taking proper vitamins, minerals, exercising, and eating healthy are important keys to ensure a healthy baby free of birth defects. Unfortunately there are no guarantees and even women who do everything by the book are still at risk of having a baby with birth defects. If deciding to become pregnant please get prenatal testing, it will benefit you tremendously.
-Brittany LeBron


Reference:

American Pregnancy Association. (2010). Promoting Pregnancy Wellness. Retrieved

October 7, 2010, from the World Wide Web: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/index.htm