What tests will they do in the first trimester of pregnancy?

As soon as the pregnancy test confirms the positive result, a new period begins in the life of the pregnant woman in which her well -being and that of the baby must be monitored.Throughout gestation there is a series of medical, analytical and diagnostic tests to verify that everything is going well.Sometimes they are repeated in each quarter and sometimes they are done only once.These are those that correspond to the first quarter.

Read more: What vitamins do you need in pregnancy?

First visit of pregnancy

The first appointment with the doctor in pregnancy has a variable date, because the woman usually requests it as soon as she learns that the test has been positive.In any case, "it is done before the 12th week of gestation, between week 7 and 10," says Dra.Inés Tamarit Degenhardt, director of the prenatal diagnostic unit of the Quirónsalud San José Hospital and the Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospital.

What is about checking in that initial visit is that, indeed, the pregnancy is viable and the number of embryos that there are.To know all this, a basic ultrasound is performed where the gynecologist must be able to perceive the baby's heartbeat.In that ultrasound it will also be verified if it is a unique or multiple pregnancy and, in this second case, what kind.In addition, the pregnant woman will be indicated to make analytics and the ultrasound of 12 weeks will be scheduled.

The first analytics is urine and blood.In urine analysis, any feature of infection or protein is sought and in the blood analysis it is compreted if the mother is immunized in front of some diseases such as rubella, hepatitis or toxoplasmosis.Its blood group and RH are also determined, which is quite important.

Triple screening

Triple screening is a screening test;This means that it does not diagnose but offers an estimate of the probability that the baby presents some alteration in its chromosomes, so it also is called chromosomapatías or triple test screening.Some of these genetic alterations are Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18) and Patau's syndrome (Trisomy 13).

This test applies to pregnant women in all centers, whether public or private, between weeks and 13 pregnancy.Depending on the results you throw, the following steps to take are decided:

The fetal DNA test in maternal blood is not performed in public health and has a high cost;In addition, it can offer false positives in the detection of Down syndrome, "so we should not abandon the realization of a detailed ultrasound in week 12 and neither does the triple test," recommends the specialist.

When and what is the indirect coombs test performed?

The indirect coombs test is done once per quarter (week 10-12, week 24-25 and week 32-34).It is a non -invasive test that allows to know if in the maternal blood there are antibodies that could react against fetal red blood cells."Depending on the type of antibodies, they can cross the placenta, reach the baby and destroy their red blood cells, causing anemia," says Quirónsalud expert.

In addition, this test is very important in the following gestations: "If the woman will be pregnant again and the indirect coomb test was positive, it would be a high -risk pregnancy, which should follow a specific protocol controlled by the gynecólgo," he warns.

The ultrasound of 12 weeks

This ultrasound is one of the most important in pregnancy.It is done between weeks 11 and 13.In addition to measuring the length of the fetus between the head and the buttocks (CRL), there are also other ultrasound markers that will help in the detection of chromosomal anomalies in the fetus.

In the ultrasound of the 12 weeks the nucral transludence ("a liquid accumulation in the back of the fetus's head, near the neck,".Tamarit).The bones of the nose and venous ductus with Doppler are also observed, "the flow is measured through this glass, since its anomaly can also put on the track of certain chromosomopathies," he says.

In addition, in this ultrasound a detailed anatomical study of the fetus is made to rule out serious malformations and the mother's risk is calculated to suffer from preeclampsia."There is, therefore, an ultrasound of enormous importance, although the patient is performed a fetal DNA test in maternal blood," advises the prenatal diagnostic specialist.

Many mothers go to public and private health at the same time to duplicate, pregnancy tests.Unless it is strictly necessary because of the impossibility of carrying out any test, experts do not recommend this duplicity to avoid unnecessary stress.

Read more: When do you start noticing the baby in pregnancy?