The Essential Prenatal Testing for Moms To-Be

Past family history or environmental exposure to DNA changing substances may result in a need for prenatal testing for women. Some of these tests have been very invasive in the past. This article discusses new developments in this area. A woman's doctor will know from her medical history and family history if there is any reason to worry or suspect a specific disease could be present. There also may be other reasons for wanting or needing some prenatal tests. In the past many of these tests were disruptive and invasive and therefore not done or avoided.

Recent discoveries had led to knowledge that the blood of pregnant women holds information that can allow prenatal testing by only using this blood. The condition of the pregnant woman's blood that allows this testing is gone once the pregnancy is over. Pregnant women should be aware of these new developments and discuss them with their doctor before undergoing any other type of prenatal testing that is invasive in any way.

On the other hand there are some prenatal tests, such as a Cystic Fibrosis Sweat test that are not invasive and should be done if there is any question of the prescience or possibility of certain diseases.

The possibility, now tested, that women can have prenatal tests for a wide range of problems that previously required sampling embryonic fluid is a big gain for pregnant women. The stress level of the new type of testing is so much less it is very important that women insist on using the new type of non invasive testing.

There are some pre conception tests that can be done as well and should be if family history leads in anyway towards the possibility of the presence of certain diseases.

Women contemplating pregnancy should review all possibilities in their particular case as relates to possible needed prenatal testing. This will allow timely decisions on several things or tests that may or may not be necessary or desirable.