St. Louis: DNA Testing During Pregnancy: Looking At The Pros And Cons

St. Louis,

There are many pregnant women who would like to find out if it is possible to get a DNA test whilst the baby it is still in the womb. The simple answer is that Yes, you can have a DNA paternity test carried out whilst the baby in still unborn. DNA testing is done for many reasons. Some of the reasons are, but not limited to, finding out about genealogy, ethnicity or race and also to determine the paternity of a child. With that said, testing during pregnancy probably has the highest incidence of risk first to the fetus and then to the mother. It is therefore imperative that you know exactly what you are getting yourself into before you go ahead with this test.

Types Of DNA Testing Whilst Pregnant

There are currently two types of tests that can be done to help you determine the DNA of your unborn child. The first is called Amniocentesis and the second is called Chorionic Villus Sampling, CVS for short. We Will take a look at each of these, including the advantages of one over the other and the accompanying risks. But before we go any further, it must be stated that the time at which this kind of testing is done is absolutely critical.

Amniocentesis: It is simply where a sample of the Amniotic fluid, the fluid surrounding the fetus, is taken and analyzed. At what stage of pregnancy can this take place? Amniocentesis can only be carried out during the second trimester, that is between weeks 14 and 20, of pregnancy. What happens during this test? The doctor or medical professional carrying out Amniocentesis uses a very thin surgical needle, guides it into the uterus, through the abdomen. An ultrasound machine is used to guide him to ensure accuracy. He then draws a little amount of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby, with the needle. This sample is what is used to carry out the test or DNA analysis.

Risk involved with Amniocentesis include possible harm to the baby and consequently leading to miscarriage. The mother may also experience bleeding and cramping. There are also instances where there is the leakage of amniotic fluid.

Chronionic Villus Sampling (CVS): During the pregnancy, the are little finger-like tissues projecting out of the uterine wall. These are called chorionic villi. These tissues come from the same fertilized egg that produced the fetus or baby. Consequently, they have the same genetic or biological make up as that of the fetus. It is these tissues that the doctor will try to get samples of in order to carry out the test.

When can this test be done? It is done during the first trimester, between weeks 10 and 13 of gestation. The procedure for CVS is a little different from that of Amniocentesis. During CVS, the doctor, again using an ultrasound machine, would guide a surgical tube or needle through the cervix to obtain the chorionic villi tissue. Afterwards tests are carried out with the sample to determine the baby’s DNA.

The Cost of DNA Testing During Pregnancy

This procedure is not cheap, compared to the other types of DNA testing, and also considering all the risks involved. It is estimated that DNA testing during pregnancy will cost anywhere between US$1000 to US$2000. It is not possible to tell if your health insurer would pay for this procedure, unless of course the terms of the insurance covers cases like this.

From the aforegoing, it is clear you cannot just get up and decide you want to carry these tests. Unless it is utterly necessary, it is always recommended that you wait till the baby is born before you carry out testing to determine the DNA of your baby.

Source by Kimberley Alberts

DNA Testing During Pregnancy: Looking At The Pros And Cons

St. Louis: The First Signs of Being Pregnant - Before You Miss a Period

St. Louis,

The first signs of being pregnant do not necessarily depend on having missed a period though this is by far the most common first sign of being pregnant. The majority of women will notice a missed period before any other pregnancy symptoms.

Most women will generally experience at least one early indicator that they are pregnant but it can be difficult to recognise the very first signs of being pregnant as they can be similar to menstruation or even stress. Trying to conceive a baby is one instance that will have you on high alert to the changes in your body and looking out for the first signs of pregnancy.

So what are the first signs of being pregnant?

Changes in breasts – this is probably one of the very first signs of pregnancy. Breasts may become swollen, painful and tender to the touch due to the sudden increase in hormones. There might be a tingling sensation or the breasts might be extremely itchy. The nipples might feel sore and the areola, the area surrounding the nipple may get darker. The veins on the breasts might become more obvious due to the increased supply of blood to the area in preparation for breast-feeding.

Fatigue – feeling tired can begin soon after conception and is caused by the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is necessary in preparing the lining of the uterus for implantation. Most expectant mums will experience some degree of tiredness at some stage during pregnancy but more commonly in the first and third trimesters.

Cramping – also known as implantation cramping occurs when the fertilized egg travels to the uterus and attaches itself or burrows into the uterine lining. Can be felt a week to a few days before your period is due. Some women experience slight bleeding when this happens, also known as implantation bleeding and this can sometimes be mistaken for an early period.

More frequent urination – the body produces more blood soon after conception to ensure an adequate supply to the developing baby, uterus and placenta. When this extra volume of blood is processed through the kidneys, urine and other waste material is filtered out resulting in the need to visit the loo more often. This is one of the first signs of being pregnant that you might notice. As pregnancy progresses, the need to urinate more frequently is caused by the pressure of the uterus on the bladder.

While you may or may not notice any of the above signs of being pregnant, the easiest way to confirm a pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test. There are many different ones available and they work by measuring a specific pregnancy hormone called hCG, human chorionic gonadotrophin. Early home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others and can detect very low levels of hCG. They can also give a positive reading before a missed period.

Source by Frankie Summers

The First Signs of Being Pregnant - Before You Miss a Period

St. Louis: Down Syndrome - Three "Screening Tests" Are the First Step in Diagnosing Down Syndrome

St. Louis,

Doctors can make a Down syndrome diagnosis for a baby while the mother is still pregnant. Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome in the baby.

Babies that don’t have Down syndrome have two 21st chromosomes and babies with Down syndrome normally have three 21st chromosomes. People usually have 46 chromosomes – or 26 pairs of chromosomes. Chromosomes are the material in our bodies that gives our bodies instructions as to how to grow, develop and work.

If you’re spending some time reading about Down syndrome you may also see it called Trisomy 21.

Pregnant Mothers Over 35 Are Particularly At Risk

In the past, mothers were given the choice of having tests to determine if their baby might have Down syndrome. Mothers over 35 are particularly at risk to have a Down syndrome baby.

Today most mothers, especially mothers over 35, are strongly encouraged to have the first set of tests, called screening tests, to see if there is any risk of Down syndrome.

Today there are so many things that can be done to help a baby with Down syndrome. Some can be done while the baby is still in the mother’s uterus and some right after birth so it’s good to know as early as possible if your baby has Down syndrome. Some mothers, though, may choose not to have these tests because they don’t want to know, before birth, if their baby has Down syndrome.

Down Syndrome “Screening Tests” are Available During Pregnancy

Three types of screening tests for diagnosing Down Syndrome are common. Screening tests cannot diagnosis Down Syndrome but they can tell your doctor if your baby has some characteristics that might indicate that your baby is at risk for Down Syndrome.

1. Ultrasound – a regular ultrasound or sonogram. Ultrasound allows your doctor to look at a picture of your baby while it’s still in your womb. There are things that a doctor can see in an ultrasound that might make the doctor think that a baby could possibly have Down syndrome. These include:

• A bone in the baby’s legs, called a femur, that’s shorter than usual


• Some heart problems


• Extra skin at the back of the baby’s neck (called “nuchal translucency”)


• Defects in the baby’s stomach or intestines


• Cysts in the part of the baby’s brain where spinal fluid is produced. These cysts are called “choroid plexus cysts.”

2. Maternal Serum Tests – tests of the mother’s blood. These tests work because a mom’s circulation system is shared with her baby. A baby makes chemicals that can be detected in the mother’s blood tests. There are several different kinds of maternal serum, or blood tests, that can be done and some are given in the first trimester (first three months) of pregnancy and some in the second trimester (second three months of pregnancy.)

3. Integrated Screening – is a combination of ultrasound and maternal serum testing. Your doctor will advise you about the best diagnostic testing for Down syndrome given your age, family history and your medical history.

What if the pregnancy tests come back with a possible Down Syndrome diagnosis?

If your doctor is concerned that your baby may have Down syndrome, he or she will probably recommend another series of tests. These tests are called diagnostic tests. To make a definite Down syndrome diagnosis a doctor needs to conduct one of several diagnostic tests that are accurate 98-99% of the time if they come back positive for Down syndrome.

Parents will want to think about whether or not they want to have diagnostic screen testing for their baby and discuss the tests carefully with their doctors. There are pros and cons to diagnostic testing and it’s essential to discuss how important it is to you and to your doctor to know for sure, before the birth of your baby, if your baby will have a Down syndrome diagnosis.

Source by Craig Kendall

Down Syndrome - Three "Screening Tests" Are the First Step in Diagnosing Down Syndrome

St. Louis: The Jelly Bean Study

St. Louis,

One of the most important components of diagnosing gestational diabetes, is the screening process. One test that has become popular, in the screening process, involve the use of jelly beans for gestational diabetes. Since many women to not see specific symptoms of this disease, diagnosis can be difficult. And since there is no certain cause of gestational diabetes, it is hard to connect the dots between symptoms and this condition.

Yes, caring for gestational diabetes when pregnant, is important, which is why testing is done. There are a number of tests that are a part of the screening. These are used essentially, to determine whether there are inappropriately high levels of glucose in a pregnant woman’s blood samples. These tests fall under the line of the non-challenge type of glucose tests.

The tests include a fasting glucose test, a 2-hour postprandial glucose test, and a random glucose test. The postprandial test focuses on the state of the pregnant woman’s blood after she has eaten. Then there is often a screen glucose challenge test performed. In the past there have been problems with this testing. Some pregnant women became nauseated or vomited, during one component of the screening.

This was generally the portion where they were expected to drink a thick, sweet cola like drink. Many of these women had problems keeping this drink down, which effected the testing process. Prompted by these troubles in determining gestational diabetes, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology stepped in.

The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology did a study on women who consumed this old cola like drink. They also looked at them in comparison to women who consumed jelly beans for getational diabetes testing. This study was very specific in its criteria. In the study there were specific types of jelly beans for gestational diabetes are used. They used jelly beans for gestational diabetes studies, made by the Brach & Brock company. They also used a certain number of jelly beans for gestational diabetes results.

In the traditional test, 50mg of oral glucose is used. This is administered in the sweet cola liquid. They found that anywhere from 10 to 15% of pregnant women vomited after drinking this liquid. So, the jelly bean alternative entered the picture. In the study women were given 18 jelly beans to eat. Use of this particular brand of candy, it equals the amount of glucose, needed in the screening process.

The traditional test required a certain period of time, before results could be checked. These pregnant women would be given tests, requiring a specific time interval for results. But women who were given the jelly bean test, results could be checked within 2 minutes of eating them. A venous plasma glucose value reading could be determined. This test unlike the ones of the past didn’t have to wait because of time restraints. The results of these tests allow you to focus on caring for gestational diabetes when pregnant, after receiving a diagnosis.

The jelly beans for gestational diabetes test did require a focus on whether a woman had eaten, or even when her last meal was. The study found that this test was a success and could be used instead of the cola drink.

Source by Sandra B Wilson

The Jelly Bean Study

St. Louis: Early Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs of Pregnancy

St. Louis,

Are you thinking that you might be pregnant? Or do you hope to get pregnant? Whatever the case is your presence here shows that you want to know about the signs and symptoms of pregnancy. This will help you to detect your pregnancy as soon s it occurs.

Following reading will give you an insight about some common signs of pregnancy that your body gives in initial few weeks of pregnancy. The following passages will advice you the signs that help in confirming pregnancy and then getting it off for taking a good start.

To know about the early signs of pregnancy, let’s assume for a moment that it has happened. Tiny embryo has indulged itself in the lining of the uterus. But the body has to give many signals. Sometimes these signals start to appear even before, missing the periods. These symptoms continue to grow stronger with each passing day and week.

The classic and the most well know alarm of pregnancy is the missed periods. The jingle bells starts to ring if the sexually active woman misses her periods. At this time if the woman goes for a pregnancy test the result would be positive. Some women may experience light bleeding during these days. This light vaginal bleeding is termed implantation bleeding. This takes place when the growing embryo embeds itself in the wall of the uterus.

At this time many women notice food cravings as well as food aversion of different types of foods. What all you have been herding about the food cravings and increased appetite of pregnant woman is always right. Suddenly the pregnant women may start to crave pasta, pickles and few other food items. At the same time some food group’s that they used to love may turn up your appetite.

Till so far no one is sure about the cause of these appetite changes. A school of thought says these changes are the nature’s way of informing that women’s body now requires full nutrients. Some women feel that they start to crave potatoes, bread and other starchy foods. Carbohydrate rich foods should be taken in the early pats of the day and in early weeks of pregnancy; this help in saving the nutrients and energy for the later days of pregnancy.

Pregnant women also feel extremely thirsty during the first few weeks of pregnancy. The extra fluid intakes help the women in increasing the supply of blood to some other liquids.

Source by Tehmina Mazher

Early Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs of Pregnancy

St. Louis: Why And When All Pregnant Women Should Be Tested For Gestational Diabetes

St. Louis,

Are you pregnant and sailing along doing fine? Let me ask you. Have you been checked for diabetes during your pregnancy? When diabetes occurs during pregnancy for the first time, it is called gestational diabetes. Pregnancy stresses the mother’s cells and chemistry in such a way that insulin resistance may develop and be manifest in the blood chemistry.

Women who develop gestational diabetes are at much higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes even if the blood chemistry return to normal after delivery. Therefore the window of opportunity for discovering if there is a problem with sugar metabolism is during the pregnancy and not afterward.

Why is this important? Not only are we in an epidemic of type 2 diabetes around the world, but the baby is at a higher risk for problems during labor and delivery if the blood sugar levels of the mother are high. One consequence of gestational diabetes is a big baby by size and weight. A large heavy baby puts increased stress on the mother at the time of delivery. The incidence of surgical delivery of the baby goes up as the size and weight of the baby increase above the norm. The same can be said for fetal distress during delivery.

If not treated, diabetes during pregnancy doubles the risk for the baby developing diabetes later in life.

Although gestational diabetes is not a secret, many pregnant women are not tested during the pregnancy. Studies show that about one-third of pregnant women were never tested for diabetes during their pregnancies. The incidence of gestational diabetes is currently 4% in the U.S. However, most researchers believe the incidence will climb higher and may even be higher now.

If a pregnant woman is pregnant for the first time and is otherwise healthy with no family history of diabetes, it is thought that a blood sugar test for diabetes should be performed after the 24th week of pregnancy. If the mother has other risk factors for diabetes, the blood test could be conducted earlier. These management details are best left to the one who is making the medical decisions during the pregnancy.

What kind of blood test? It is likely to be a fasting blood sugar test which tells the physician how the baby, mom and blood sugar are doing? Normal levels are well-established. The point that needs to be made is that an appropriate blood sugar test should be done during the pregnancy. Whether a test needs to be done after the delivery depends on the first test and risk factors. There is a new blood sugar test called the A1c hemoglobin test that is growing in popularity and may come into play in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

Source by Robert Urban M.D.

Why And When All Pregnant Women Should Be Tested For Gestational Diabetes