Exams to do in pregnancy
What are all the tests to do in pregnancy? During the nine months of gestation it is necessary to carry out some medical examinations to check our health and that of our baby, however know the sex of the child or the expected date of delivery, etc.
Here is thelist of exams to do in the three trimesters of pregnancy, the compulsory exams for our National Health System (SSN), and the optional and / or recommended exams. However, it is always necessary to contact a trusted private gynecologist or ASL, who possibly works in the facility where you want to give birth.
19 PHOTOSUltrasound in pregnancy | PHOTO
Ultrasound in pregnancy | Examples of ultrasound scans during the 40 weeks of pregnancy
First trimester pregnancy tests
- esame: Beta Hcg: After the positive pregnancy test, or in place of it, the test that almost all women at the beginning of a pregnancy decide to do, or are prescribed by the gynecologist, is precisely the dosage of the beta HCG called commonly beta.
When should it be done: Immediately after the pregnancy test
- esame: Nuchal translucency test. It is used to evaluate the percentage of probability of any malformations of the fetus.
When should it be done: Between weeks 10 and 14
- esame: Urine tests: A very simple test, which can give important information such as the presence of any urinary tract infections. Blood test: If the woman has not already performed the blood group and RH factor test, it should be requested in early pregnancy.
When they need to be done: One per quarter
- esame: The indirect Coombs test if you have negative RH factor, and you will be required to repeat it every month to determine the blood compatibility between mother and child. If the child is positive, an immunization should be done after delivery.
When should it be done: Every month
- esame: Weight control. During pregnancy it is essential to control body weight. An excessive increase or decrease can negatively affect your baby's health.
When should it be done: In all visits to the gynecologist
- esame: Exploration ed transvaginal ultrasound. Among the first checks performed, this gynecologist exam consists of a vaginal exploration, thanks to an ultrasound probe inserted into the vagina, as well as a careful control of the breasts.
When should it be done: In the first visit to the gynecologist
- esame: Pressure control. During pregnancy it is essential to control blood pressure because, in pregnant women, blood circulation is often subject to alterations due to changes in the body.
When should it be done: In all visits to the gynecologist
- esame: First ultrasound. The first ultrasound allows you to see the beating heart for the first time.
When should it be done: Between weeks 6 and 11
- esame: Morphological ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound. The morphology is one of the most important tests to do during pregnancy. It allows you to accurately check at what point in gestation you are and to check the morphology of the fetus and exclude any malformations.
When should it be done: One per quarter if there is a risk
Tests of the second trimester of pregnancy
- esame: Bi-test and Tri-test. They are two types of maternal blood samples and give statistical results on the probability of having children with malformations and chromosomal abnormalities.
When should it be done: From the 15th to the 17th week of gestation
- esame: High-Resolution Ultrasound: High-resolution fetal ultrasound (also called Level II ultrasound) uses sound waves produced by an ultrasound device to create an image of the fetus.
When should it be done: Week 20
- esame: Control ofalphafetoprotein. A mother's alpha-fetoprotein checkup is a type of blood test that is recommended to be done to detect any abnormally high AFP that could be a symptom of neural tube malformations or Down syndrome in your child. .
When should it be done: Between weeks 14 and 16
- esame: Urinalysis and blood test
When should it be done: One per quarter
- esame: Weight control
When should it be done: In all visits to the gynecologist
- esame: O'Sullivan test or curve and glycemic mini-curve. The glycemic curve and minicurve is a diagnostic test also called O Sullivan's test, which evaluates the status of a possible gestational diabetes
When should it be done: Between weeks 24 and 28
- esame: Pressure control
When should it be done: In all visits to the gynecologist
- esame: Cordocentosis: consists of a fetal blood sampling to diagnose fetal infections and check for any chromosomal abnormalities found on amniocentesis or in case of fetal malformation highlighted with ultrasound in late pregnancy.
When should it be done: From 18-20 week
- esame: Amniocentesie Villocentesi. These are two invasive prenatal diagnostic tests and both are used to quickly diagnose any chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus.
When should it be done: Between weeks 15 and 18
- esame: Morphological ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound
When should it be done: One per quarter if there is a risk
Read also: Morphological ultrasound and malformationsExams to be done in the third trimester
- esame: Ultrasound
When should it be done: Between weeks 28 and 37
- esame: Vagino-rectal swab
When should it be done: Starting week 35
- esame: Weight control
When should it be done: In all visits to the gynecologist
- esame: Morphological ultrasound and Doppler ultrasound
When should it be done: One per quarter if there is a risk
- esame: Urinalysis and blood test
When should it be done: One per quarter
- esame: Pressure control
When should it be done: In all visits to the gynecologist
- esame: Fetal heart rate monitoring
When should it be done: Starting week 40
Exams in pregnancy for malformations
In summary, we can say that the tests that can be done to identify any malformations of the child are:
- nuchal translucency and Bi-Test: they serve to offer a result in probability that the child may have malformations and Down's syndrome: in the event of a positive result, the woman will be invited to do an amniocentesis;
- amniocentesis and villocentesis: invasive tests that establish with the utmost accuracy the existence of congenital chromosomal anomalies;
- morphological ultrasound: which examines the entire body of the child, measures it and analyzes every single detail in search of any malformations.
Free pregnancy exams
The National Health Service offers pregnant women three ultrasound scans, one for each trimester, morphological ultrasound and amniocentesis for all women over 35 years of age free of charge. It is good to contact your doctor for information on how to book these exams in public facilities in time.
Exams to be done after the age of 35
With advancing maternal age, the likelihood that the child will have achromosomal abnormality, for this we have available some diagnostic prenatal tests, for example amniocentesis or villocentesis, which are able to identify fetal chromosomal and anomalies.
Exams to be done month by month
The doctor will decide which tests should be done and when to do them. However, the Ministry of Health, in the Guidelines relating to access to laboratory tests and instrumental diagnostics for pregnant women, provides indications:
- First month: pregnancy test
- Second month: Beta Hcg exam; blood and urine analysis, first gynecological examination with transvaginal ultrasound.
- Third month: Bitest Nucal Translucency Test to evaluate the probability of any chromosomal abnormalities and down syndrome; first ultrasound, to be performed between the 6th and 11th week. Finally, starting from the 10th week it is also possible to carry out the CVS.
- Fourth month: blood and urine tests.
- Fifth month: morphological ultrasound, one of the most important tests in the second trimester of pregnancy, and - by the 20th week - amniocentesis.
- Sixth month: urinalysis and blood analysis with complete hematocrit to evaluate any anemia, ferritin, to check iron levels and the glycemic curve to diagnose any gestational diabetes.
- Seventh month: blood tests and creatininemia, to check the functionality of the kidneys.
- Eighth month: ultrasound and vaginal swab.
- Ninth month: blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram and cardiotocography to check the frequency of your baby's heartbeat and any contractions.
Questions and answers
What are the blood values that signal an ongoing pregnancy?
When conception occurs, the body produces a particular hormone called Beta Hcg, which is also known as the pregnancy hormone. The common home test, in fact, reacts precisely to the presence of the beta hormone in the urine and the blood test will confirm conception by examining the values of this hormone (which rise exponentially in the first three months).
When to get tested for toxoplasmosis?
The Toxo-test, a test for toxoplasmosis, is used to check if you are already known to be immune to this infection which could be very dangerous if caught in pregnancy. The examination is part of the first battery of analyzes prescribed at the first visit to the gynecologist.
How can I tell from the tests that I am pregnant?
After a delay in menstruation, a home test will be able to detect conception, but the result is confirmed by blood tests that monitor the values of the hormone Beta Hcg, whose levels increase week after week in the first trimester of pregnancy.
What are the tests to do immediately during pregnancy?
The first tests that are prescribed are a complete blood count, urinalysis, the Toxo-test to understand if you are positive or negative for toxplasmosis. Of course, a gynecological examination will also be made with the first ultrasound scan which is used to evaluate the correct implantation of the embryo and to date the pregnancy.
When can the morphology be done?
The Ministry of Health recommends doing morphological ultrasound between the 19th and 21st week of pregnancy. It is therefore an important examination to be done in the second quarter, between the fourth and fifth month of gestation.
