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Making the Grade
A Guide to Tests during Pregnancy
By Teri Brown
There is nothing in the world that can match the feeling of finding out you are pregnant when you have been hoping and praying for a baby. The feeling of joy is almost overwhelming – as are the number of medical tests you will soon be receiving!
Janine Talbot* of Beaverton, Ore., was amazed by the number of tests offered to her during her pregnancy.
"I was overwhelmed by the number of tests that my physician recommended," says Talbot. "As the pregnancy progressed, it seemed like there were tests offered at every visit. I had mixed feelings about it, and I was glad that my physician was willing to discuss the pros and cons of each test with me."
The number of tests available concerned Talbot, as they do a number of women who are left feeling that something must be wrong. Talbot became very skeptical of some of the tests recommended.
"I was concerned about the high rate of false positives in many of the tests and the needless worrying and cascade of further testing they might cause," says Talbot. "I believe that I was well cared for during my pregnancy, which proceeded normally, and had there been any signs of health issues I would have considered some of the tests I declined."
The number of tests should never take away the joy and contentment you have during your pregnancy. Make sure you ask your health care provider why you need each recommended test and what it entails. The following guide to the tests done during pregnancy will give you a working knowledge of some of the most common medical procedures.
"We check the woman's blood type, because certain blood types can interact with the baby's blood type and cause problems for this baby or future babies," says Dr. Abello. "We check for anemia, which is very common. We check for many sexually transmitted diseases, including Hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV. HIV is optional, but definitely recommended, because when HIV positive mothers are treated during pregnancy, babies have a much lower chance of getting HIV."
Other tests that may be run during the blood tests are rubella immunity, toxoplasmosis immunity (if the woman has a cat or comes into contact with cats), cystic fibrosis or sickle cell trait.
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