Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

The sad truth about the signs of chromosomal abnormalities in fetus is that about 1 in every 150 babies are affected by them. These abnormalities are caused by different errors in the structure or number of the chromosomes. The affected babies usually have physical or mental defects.

How to find out about the fetus’ chromosomal abnormality signs

In order to find out whether the baby has the signs or not, you must go through a screening test. These tests will tell you the chances of the baby being affected and the good news is that in the majority of the cases there are no risks involved.

Serum screening

To know more about the symptoms of chromosomal abnormalities in fetus you could have a serum screening test. Basically this is a blood test done between the 15^th and 20^th weeks of pregnancy. It measures the hormone levels of the mother’s blood.

The results are combined with the age of the mother and this way the doctors can calculate the risks of the baby having chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. The test isn’t 100% foolproof and it is possible for a low risk mother to have a baby with Down syndrome.

Nuchal translucency measurement

In order to learn more about the fetus’ chromosomal abnormalities symptoms the doctors often use an ultrasound to measure the space at the neck of the baby. Again the doctors have to combine the results with the age of the mother to get an approximation of the chances of the baby being affected.

Diagnostic tests

To know for sure about the signs of chromosomal abnormalities in fetus there is need for the cells of the fetus to be analyzed. This is usually done in case of the women from high risks groups. These risks are determined by the results of the screening tests or by the fact that they had another baby with chromosomal abnormalities.

Amniocentesis

This test helps you find out more about the warning signs of the fetus’ chromosomal abnormalities. In this case the tests analyze the fluid that surrounds the baby. There is a fine needle inserted into the womb through ultrasound guidance to remove the fluid.

At the earliest stages the babies don’t show signs of chromosomal abnormalities in fetus. These become obvious at later stages when there is nothing left for the parents to do but to take care of the child.