Laboratory tests are part of routine health care during pregnancy. Some of these tests are done with a blood sample, while others use a urine sample or a sample of tissue from your vagina, cervix, or rectum.
These tests, called prenatal tests, are designed to help your healthcare provider find out how you and your baby behave during pregnancy.
The various kinds of tests available for pregnant women include:
Tests to check pregnancy
Regular screening tests, which can assess the health of the mother along with the health status of the baby
Maternal health checks are used to identify specific diseases and infections that increase the risk of complications for the mother and her baby
Diagnostic tests are done for risky pregnancies.
Different types of tests are needed to monitor the health of the mother and baby at different stages of pregnancy. The various laboratory tests required for different stages of pregnancy are discussed below.
Screening in First Trimester of Pregnancy
Although the following tests are performed early in pregnancy, your doctor may request these laboratory tests at any time during your pregnancy.
Complete blood count
A whole blood picture can determine the number of different types of cells including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. The number of RBCs can detect if you have a specific type of anemia and determine the status of iron, vitamin B12, and folate deficiency
The number of WBCs can determine the number of immune cells in your blood, indicating infection in the body
The number of platelets can indicate if you have a blood clotting problem.
Blood group and Rhesus compatibility screening
From the results of blood group ABO and Rh typing, it will be known that the woman is of type A, B, AB, or O and they are Rh-negative or positive.
ABO blood type identification is very important in pregnant women so that your blood type can be determined in case of an emergency such as heavy bleeding at birth.
In addition, knowledge of the mother’s rhesus factor is important to determine Rh compatibility with the growing baby. Rh factor is a hereditary protein found on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). If you have protein in your RBC, you are Rh-positive. If your RBC is deficient in protein, you are Rh-negative.
If a woman is Rh-negative and her fetus is Rh-positive, her body can produce antibodies against the Rh factor.
These antibodies can harm the fetus’s RBCs
It generally does not cause problems in the first pregnancy, when the body produces only a small amount of antibodies.
However, it can cause problems in a succeeding pregnancy
Rubella antibody status
All pregnant women should be supervised for rubella antibodies
If the rubella virus infects a developing fetus in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, the affected infants will have severe congenital defects including deafness, eye defects, heart defects, and mental retardation.
Infection after 20 weeks of gestation reduces the risk of complications
The purpose of this test is to identify women who have not been vaccinated or who have a weakened immune system and who are more likely to get rubella.
However, mothers who are not immune should not be vaccinated during their pregnancy and should be vaccinated after giving birth to protect future pregnancies.
Vitamin D screening is also important, as vitamin D is essential for normal fetal bone growth.
Screening in Second Trimester of Pregnancy
26-28 weeks gestation screening mainly consists of complete blood count, blood group of antibodies, and glucose tolerance test.
Glucose tolerance test
A glucose screening test is used to limit gestational diabetes, a temporary condition that grows during pregnancy
Although the disease usually disappears after childbirth, women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Gestational diabetes can increase your chances of having a cesarean delivery because babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are usually larger.
Test for Urine infection
To exclude sub-clinical urinary tract infections, all pregnant women should have a mainstream urine culture during the first and second trimesters and then at 36 weeks gestation.
Screening in Third Trimester of Pregnancy
Group B streptococcus test
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is commonly found in the vagina and rectum of women and can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby during childbirth.
Although it rarely occurs in 1 or 2 out of 100 babies, GBS can cause serious neonatal infection or sepsis.
Therefore, taking vaginorectal culture at 35 to 37 weeks of gestation may rule out the possibility of GBS infection.
Prenatal screening tests serve as an important source of information for pregnant women. These tests are performed from time to time to assess the health of the woman and baby and to assess the presence of any pathological condition.
Talk to your doctor if you have any fears if you are not certain if you should be examined or if you are worried. Have a happy pregnancy!
