Every woman tries her best to make sure the baby she is carrying is healthy. To help achieve this goal, physicians like to know as much as they reasonably can about the health of a woman’s developing baby (fetus) as early as possible during the pregnancy. Saint Francis and Warren Clinic OB specialists provide a variety of routine and specialty testing for moms-to-be.
Routine Testing
Once your pregnancy is confirmed, your doctor may order a variety of tests. Some, like a urine test, will be frequent, while tests such as Ultrasound will likely only happen a couple of times in a routine pregnancy.
Routine prenatal tests include:
- Blood test to screen for infections, confirm blood type and check for anemia
- Gestational Diabetes test screens for a (generally) temporary type of diabetes that can occur during pregnancy
- Pap test which is common when pregnancy is confirmed to rule out sexually transmitted diseases that could be passed along to the baby
- Ultrasound is used as a diagnostic procedure to help confirm a suspected problem and to determine an accurate due date
- Urinalysis or Urine test to confirm pregnancy, screen for protein and sugar levels as well as signs of preeclampsia
Specialty Testing
When a pregnancy is high-risk or something in a routine test looks abnormal, additional testing may be required. These tests are not recommended for everyone, rather they are available for those who need them. Do not be alarmed if your doctor does not order all, or even any, of these prenatal tests.
Specialty prenatal tests available at Saint Francis include:
- Amniocentesis is generally used to test for chromosome abnormalities, neural tube defects and genetic disorders. This diagnostic test can also be used later in pregnancy to assess the baby's lung maturity.
- Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS) is a diagnostic test that identifies chromosome abnormalities and other inherited disorders. It can be preformed earlier in the pregnancy that an amniocentesis, but it does not test for neural tube defects like the amniocentesis.
- Fetal Echocardiograms are specialized ultrasounds that evaluate the structure and function of your baby's heart
- Genetic Testing is available through Saint Francis Genetics
- Maternal Serum AFP Test is a blood screening designed to detect possible neural tube defects
- Non-stress Test and Fetal Stress Test to measure baby’s reactionary heart rate and oxygen levels
Learn More About Pregnancy Services from Saint Francis Hospital
For more pregnancy information, view the links in this section. To learn more about having your baby at a Saint Francis hospital, view our Maternity Care section. If you need an OBGYN or primary healthcare provider, search our physician directory or call Saint Francis HealthLink at 918-488-6688.