What causes Down syndrome high risk

Many pregnant mothers will undergo Down syndrome screening during pregnancy. Down syndrome screening is mainly to check whether the fetus is a Down syndrome baby. Because once it is discovered that the baby is Down syndrome, the mothers may lose the fetus. Many mothers are very worried that their children may have Down syndrome, but they don’t know why this happens. So, what causes high risk of Down syndrome?

The high risk of Down syndrome screening is mainly caused by some drugs, age, genetic factors and radiation factors, so we should be careful not to abuse drugs and stay away from radiation in our lives.

What causes Down syndrome high risk

As for the high-risk situation of Down syndrome screening, we can check this situation in our daily life and don’t need to worry too much. As long as you maintain an optimistic attitude in life and cooperate with the doctor's treatment method, you can also get rid of the high-risk situation of Down syndrome screening.

The most common reasons for high risk in Down syndrome screening are drugs, radiation, contaminated applications of chemical products, viral infections, etc.

It needs to be made clear that whether it is low risk or high risk, there is no guarantee of absolute safety or danger. Expectant mothers must have a correct understanding, a good attitude and sufficient psychological preparation.

1. Age Factor

As the age of pregnant women increases, the incidence of fetal chromosomal abnormalities increases significantly, which is caused by aging of egg cells, uneven division and abnormal egg conception. Pregnant women who are 35 years old or older at the time of delivery should undergo prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomes.

2. Genetic factors

If a child with Down syndrome was born in one of the family members or one of the spouses had a chromosomal abnormality during conception, the disease may be inherited.

3. Drug factors

Before and after pregnancy, if pregnant women take teratogenic drugs, such as tetracycline, or take too many pregnancy-preserving drugs, there is a risk of having a baby with Down syndrome or affecting the results of the sugar screening.

4. Health factors

Pregnant women have a history of viral infection, such as influenza, rubella, etc., or a history of habitual miscarriage, premature birth or stillbirth, etc.

5. Environmental factors

One of the spouses works under a radioactive screen or in a polluted environment for a long time, or keeps pets for a long time.

As we all know, the result of Down syndrome screening is a matter of probability. The risk factor of having a child with Down syndrome is calculated based on the results of serum tests of pregnant women, but it does not represent a final diagnosis. The international normal value is around 1/700. When the blood test screening value is greater than 1/270, it means that the person is in a high-risk group, which means that the fetus is at a higher risk of suffering from Down syndrome.

What is Down's syndrome test

1. Down syndrome screening is an indicator that can only be checked between 15-21 weeks of pregnancy. It is mainly used to detect the possibility of the baby having Down syndrome. It can only be used as a reference and cannot be taken as the final word. Moreover, the doctor will determine whether you need this examination based on your physical condition. The examination only requires a blood test, which is usually done at the same time as other blood tests, and then combined with your recent B-ultrasound to determine the baby's risk of danger. .

2. Down syndrome is also called trisomy 21, which means that the patient's 21st pair of chromosomes has one more than the normal person (normal people have one pair). Down syndrome screening is a risk value calculated by the content of AFP and HCG in the pregnant woman's serum, combined with the pregnant woman's age, weight, and gestational age. The critical value is 1/275. Greater than is high risk, less than is low risk. The probability of having Down syndrome (DS) in the general population (under 37 years old) is 1/750. If the screening result is high risk, amniocentesis is recommended. However, even if it is high risk, it does not necessarily mean that the baby is Down syndrome. However, to be on the safe side, DS screening is still recommended!

Down syndrome screening test is the abbreviation of prenatal screening test for Down syndrome. The purpose is to determine the risk of the fetus suffering from Down syndrome by testing the pregnant woman's blood. If the Down screening test results show that the fetus is at a higher risk of suffering from Down syndrome, further confirmatory tests should be carried out - amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Pregnant women whose Down syndrome screening index exceeds the normal level should undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Only if the results of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling are normal can the possibility of Down syndrome be 100% ruled out.