Screening for Down Syndrome

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome number 21 in the cells of the developing baby. In an unscreened population, about one in every 700 babies is born with Down syndrome. Usually, it is not inherited, so a baby can be affected even if there is no history of Down syndrome in the family. Although Down syndrome occurs more frequently as mothers get older, about 70 percent of babies with Down syndrome are born to women who are younger than 35 years old. Down syndrome is always associated with moderate to severe developmental disability and is often associated with physical problems such as heart defects and difficulties with sight and hearing. It is not possible to assess the degree of handicap before the baby is born. About nine out of 10 babies with Down syndrome will survive their first year, and nearly half of these will reach 60 years of age.

What is the First Trimester Test?

The First Trimester Test is performed between 10 and 13 completed weeks of pregnancy to screen for Down syndrome - this test is not used to screen for open neural tube defects. It combines information from an ultrasound examination of your baby with maternal blood analysis. It is suitable for women of all ages. It is a screening test and cannot determine definitely whether or not a baby has Down syndrome. The test identifies those women who have an increased likelihood of Down syndrome pregnancy so that they can be offered a diagnostic test (such as chorionic villus sampling). The diagnostic test identifies women who actually have an affected pregnancy.

What does the First Trimester Test involve?

A sample of your blood is taken between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. At the same time, an ultrasound scan is performed. Substances in your blood which are markers of Down syndrome and a specific ultrasound marker will be measured. The blood markers are pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and human chorionic gonadotropin (free beta-hCG). The ultrasound marker is nuchal translucency (NT) thickness. In pregnancies with Down syndrome, PAPP-A tends to be low, and NT and hCG tend to be raised. The values of these markers are used together with your age to estimate the likelihood of having a pregnancy affected with Down syndrome.

What does the Integrated Test involve?

The Integrated Test is performed in two stages. The first stage is ideally performed at 11 or 12 weeks of pregnancy, but any time between 10 and 13 weeks is acceptable. The second stage is ideally performed at 15 or 16 weeks of pregnancy and no later than 22 weeks. The first stage involves an ultrasound examination to precisely determine the gestational age of the pregnancy and to measure the nuchal translucency (NT) thickness, a space at the back of the baby's neck; taking a blood sample to measure the concentration of the marker, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A); and telling you the recommended date for taking a second blood sample for the second stage of the test. The second stage involves: taking a second blood sample to measure the concentration of the following four markers: alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) unconjugated estriol (uE3) inhibin-A (inhA); and integrating the measurements from the first and second stages into a single screening result. The NT measurement and the levels of the five markers in your blood are used, together with your age, to estimate your likelihood of having a pregnancy affected by Down syndrome. In pregnancies with Down syndrome, PAPP-A, AFP, and uE3 levels tend to be low, and NT measurement, inhA, and hCG levels tend to be raised. The level of AFP in the second blood sample is also used to determine if there is an increased likelihood of spina bifida or anencephaly.

Why wait until the second stage to have an estimate?

By using information from both stages, the test is safer and more effective than a test using information from the first stage alone. It will better distinguish affected from unaffected pregnancies, reducing the chance that a Down syndrome pregnancy is missed, as well as reducing the chance that you will need an invasive diagnostic test, such as an amniocentesis.

What happens if the ultrasound examination shows that I am too late for the first stage of the test?

In that case, we will not be able to report a screening result for the Integrated Test. However, you could have screening based on the second stage alone beginning when you are 15 weeks pregnant.

What is the likelihood?

The likelihood is the chance of an event occurring. For example, the likelihood of Down syndrome of one in 100 means that if 100, we expect that one of these women will have a baby with Down syndrome and that 99 will not. This is the same as saying that the baby has a 1 percent chance of having Down syndrome and a 99 percent chance that it does not.

When will the results be available?

The results of the First Trimester Test and the Integrated Test are usually ready within three working days of the blood sample being taken. Results are sent to your health care provider. Your screening result is either screen positive or screen negative. Screen positive results are telephoned and faxed to your health care provider.

What does a screen positive result for Down syndrome mean?

A screen positive result means that you are in a high-likelihood group for having a baby with Down syndrome. If you are in this group, you will be offered a diagnostic test. The result is screen positive if the likelihood of Down syndrome in the first trimester is one in 230 or greater. About one in every 20 women screened will be in this group. Most women with screen-positive results do not have a pregnancy with Down syndrome. For example, of about 50 women with screen-positive results for Down syndrome, only one would have an affected pregnancy.

What does a screen positive result for open neural tube defects mean?

A screen positive result means that you are in a group with an increased likelihood of having a baby with an open neural tube defect. If the result is screen positive, you will be offered an ultrasound examination after 16 weeks of pregnancy, and possibly an amniocentesis. The result is screen positive when the AFP level is equal to or higher than two times the normal level for your stage of pregnancy.

What does a screen negative result mean?

If the likelihood of Down syndrome based on the First Trimester Test is lower than one in 230, then the result is called screen negative, and a diagnostic test is usually not offered. If the likelihood of Down syndrome based on the Integrated Test is lower than one in 110, and the AFP level is less than two times the normal level for your stage of pregnancy, then the result is called screen negative, and a diagnostic test is usually not offered. Although a screen negative result means that your likelihood of having a baby with Down syndrome is not high, a screen negative result cannot rule out the possibility of a pregnancy with Down syndrome.

Does the First Trimester Test or the Integrated Test detect all pregnancies with Down syndrome?

No. About eight or nine out of 10 cases of Down syndrome are detected (classified as screen positive). This means that one or two out of 10 pregnancies with Down syndrome are missed (classified as screen negative). With the Integrated Test, about four out of five cases of spina bifida are detected, and one out of five is missed. Nearly all cases of anencephaly are detected.

Why do women with screen negative results occasionally have babies with Down syndrome or open neural tube defect?

It is uncommon for a woman to have a baby with Down syndrome or an open neural tube defect, and it is even more uncommon for a woman with a screen negative result, but it does sometimes happen. This is because the screening test cannot completely distinguish affected from unaffected pregnancies. However small the likelihood is, the test cannot completely rule out the possibility of the baby having Down syndrome or open neural tube defect.

Why do you take my age into account?

Any woman may have a baby with Down syndrome, but the chance increases as a woman gets older. Therefore, we use age as one of the factors when assessing your likelihood of having a pregnancy with Down syndrome. It means that an older woman is more likely to have a result screen positive and will therefore be offered a diagnostic test. For example, for women under the age of 35 about 4 percent will be screen positive, while in women who are 35 or older about 15 percent will be screen positive. Overall, about 5 percent of women will be screen positive, and about 85 percent of Down syndrome pregnancies will be identified with the First Trimester Test. Overall, about 1 percent of women will be screen positive with the Integrated Test.

Can any other abnormalities be identified?

Yes, the likelihood of another chromosome abnormality, trisomy 18, can be estimated in First Trimester Screening and with the Integrated Test. Trisomy 18 (also known as Edwards syndrome) is a usually fatal abnormality caused by the presence of an extra chromosome number 18 in the cells of the developing baby. In the absence of screening, about one in every 7,000 babies is born with trisomy 18. The likelihood of trisomy 18 can be estimated using PAPP-A and hCG, and is reported only when the likelihood is one in 100 or higher. If your chances are high, you are offered another ultrasound examination and an amniocentesis. This is arranged by your health care provider. The first-trimester screening detects about six out of 10 pregnancies affected with trisomy 18.

What are the tests that will be offered if my First Trimester Test result is screen positive?

If the test is screen positive, you will be offered a diagnostic test, usually chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or possibly an amniocentesis. The diagnostic test will determine whether or not the pregnancy is actually affected. CVS is offered early in pregnancy (usually between 10 and 13 weeks). It involves taking a sample of placental tissue (using local anesthetic) either by inserting a needle through your abdominal wall or by passing a fine instrument through the cervix. CVS is performed under the guidance of an ultrasound scan and does not involve a stay in the hospital. The CVS sample contains cells that can be used to tell whether or not the baby has Down syndrome. A result is usually ready within one to two weeks. There is a small risk associated with the CVS procedure. About 1 percent of women who have CVS will have a miscarriage as a result of the procedure.

What are the tests that will be offered if my Integrated Test result is screen positive?

It depends on your particular result. If the test is screen positive for Down syndrome or at increased likelihood for trisomy 18 or Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, an amniocentesis procedure will be offered, sometimes accompanied by a detailed ultrasound examination. If the test is screen positive for open neural tube defects, a targeted ultrasound examination is most commonly offered, although amniocentesis is often suggested as well.

What is an amniocentesis, and what will it show?

An amniocentesis is a procedure in which the doctor obtains a small sample of fluid that surrounds the developing baby by passing a fine needle through the abdominal wall and into the uterus, under the guidance of an ultrasound scan. The sample is then sent for laboratory testing. This fluid sample can be used to diagnose chromosome problems like Down syndrome and trisomy 18. An amniocentesis is an invasive procedure, which means that there is a small risk of miscarriage (about one in 200) associated with it. Results of the test for Down syndrome and trisomy 18 usually take one to two weeks. A rapid technique for the diagnosis of Down syndrome and trisomy 18, fluorescence in situ hybridization (or FISH), is available at Women & Infants. FISH results usually take two days. Results for the test for open neural tube defects usually take five to seven days.

What is an ultrasound and what will it show?

Ultrasound machines use sound waves to look at the developing baby. This procedure, called sonography, is often used to check fetal age or whether more than one baby is present. Level II or targeted sonography will provide a detailed examination of portions of the baby's body. It cannot be used to diagnose Down syndrome or trisomy 18, but it can often identify spina bifida and various fetal abnormalities that are associated with Down syndrome or trisomy 18.

What happens if my baby does have Down syndrome or an open neural tube defect?

A genetic counselor will be available to discuss your baby's diagnosis in detail and the options available to you. One option would be to continue the pregnancy and make arrangements for appropriate medical services at and after delivery. Placing the infant for adoption after birth can also be considered. Another option would be a termination of pregnancy.