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They Want My Blood

Prenatal Blood Testing

By Sharon Waldrop

If you are the proud recipient of a positive pregnancy test, we congratulate you! You are at the beginning of an exciting journey, complete with a new meaning to the word "life."

You also have more tests in the near future, with the first being a blood test performed during your first prenatal visit. This blood test will determine your blood type and Rh factor (positive or negative). It will also check for the presence of any sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. You will be screened for anemia, hepatitis and immunity to rubella.

Rubella (German measles) is a mild childhood illness that brings with it a rash, low-grade fever and sore throat. However, the disease is a serious threat to an unborn fetus. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant women who contract rubella may lose their babies. Birth defects such as deafness, blindness, heart disease and brain damage may occur, in addition to other serious problems.

Most women are immune to rubella by either a previous series of vaccinations or by having contracted the disease as a child. Some pregnant women are not immune to rubella.

"The traditional rubella vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy," says Dr. James M. Proulx, attending staff physician of the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Conn. "Ideally, I offer all couples planning pregnancy preconceptual counseling, an office visit devoted to addressing any health concerns which might impact her upcoming pregnancy. This would include screening for rubella and vaccinating before pregnancy begins. In lieu of this, most women are vaccinated immediately postpartum."

A pregnant woman who is not immune to rubella should avoid contact with anyone who may have the disease or who is not immune to it, as another person may have the disease without the sign of any symptoms. According to the Texas Department of Health, up to 90 percent of babies born to women who contracted rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy may suffer from birth defects due to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).