Special blood tests like dual marker, quadruple marker or NIPT

A double marker test, also known as maternal serum screening, is recommended for a pregnant woman to check for any neurological disorder in the baby. Usually, this test is prescribed by the doctor in the first trimester of pregnancy as a part of comprehensive screening. If any irregularities are found in the chromosomal growth of the baby, then it may affect its overall development and lead to a severe medical condition. Down syndrome and Edward’s syndrome are some of the medical disorders that can be identified by a dual marker blood test.

The window for this test screening is small, so doctors recommend this test between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. A double marker test checks for free beta HCG and PAPPA-A markers in the blood. However, it is important to note that this test predicts the risk of complications but does not confirm any abnormalities. When the double marker test is done, the test report shows a result in the normal, high, or low range. The normal range of the test report indicates that there are no irregularities in the baby’s growth and a low risk of developing a chromosomal disorder.