prenatal test

prenatal test

Obstetrics Any lab test or assay used to detect genetic and/or congenital fetal anomalies that would compromise the infant's well-being and quality of life to such a degree that the parents might prefer an abortion Examples α-fetoprotein levels in mother's serum or amniotic fluid, chromosome analysis, ultrasonography, chorionic villus biopsy–8^th-10^th gestational wks, risk of spontaneous abortion/miscarriage–1.0-1.5%, amniocentesis–16^th gestational wk, risk of spontaneous abortion/miscarriage– 0.5%, fetoscopy, embryoscopy Diseases detected α₁-antitrypsin activity, thalassemias, defects of sex and autosomal chromosomes, eg, trisomies, deletions, mosaicisms, fragile X syndrome, hemophilia, neural tube defects–anencephaly, spina bifida, polycystic kidney disease, Tay-Sachs disease. See Embroscopy, Fetoscopy. Cf Wrongful birth.