Screening Test May Lead to Birth Defects
In years gone by women who were pregnant could only pray that they would give birth to a healthy child. As soon as a baby was born all everyone wanted to know was if the newborn was ok. However medical science has made it possible for pregnant women to know within a few months of becoming pregnant if there is any possibility that the baby has any physical defects.
Some popular pre-natal screening methods used to check for chromosomal and other defects prior to birth include ultrasound, amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS). Of the three methods listed above, ultrasound is the least invasive, while amniocentesis is often thought to be the most invasive. In fact, one out of every 100 women who has an amnio or CVS is at risk of miscarrying.
Nonetheless thousands of women worldwide are encouraged to have genetic screening tests, especially if they are over 35 years old. However, new research has indicated that CVS is not as safe as previously thought. In fact, the study published in December’s issue of The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery states that “…the procedure may increase the rate of blood vessel malformations called hemangiomas.”
Hemangiomas are clusters of blood vessels formed on the skin. Luckily they are generally benign and few complications results from them. Dr. Lewis B. Holmes from the Massachusetts General Hospital lead author of the study was careful to note that the study’s results just ‘suggest that CVS may lead to hemangiomas…”
Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, Dr. Mutaz B. Habal was quoted online discussing the research. Dr. Habal said that “…CVS is generally done for prenatal detection of serious genetic diseases like Down Syndrome in pregnancies at high risk…” He also said that the benefits outweighed the risks, but women should discuss the procedure with their doctors before making any decision.
When I got pregnant with my son my doctor told me about all the possible tests that we could do. Of course, my husband and I already knew we were not interested in doing anything other than an ultrasound. We were not prepared to take the chance of a miscarriage. While taking prenatal tests is a personal matter, do ask for as much information as possible before committing.
