As a part of the prenatal care, women are mainly asked by the health care providers to undergo various blood tests during their pregnancy. A woman must not be anxious or overwhelmed by the tests. She must stay informed so that if a doctor will throw a long list of tests next time, she can ask reasonable questions and participate in it. Many women are having a low risk of pregnancy complications. However, still they make sure that they visit their health care provider during pregnancy every month. They should never hesitate to call the questions or concerns in between the visits. On arriving at the office, a woman may be asked to produce a urine sample. When a room is made available, she will be escorted into it for waiting for the provider. She must always remember that the schedules of the obstetricians are very busy and deliveries are surely very unpredictable. Thus, she should carry a book or a magazine along with her in case she has to wait. If there is a long delay, she can also reschedule her appointment. The office policy of the provider must be checked for rescheduling and cancelling the appointments.
Given below is the list of important blood test during pregnancy second trimester
During the second trimester, screening is usually done for determining the risk of fetus which has birth defects such as trisomy 13, trisomy 18 or Down syndrome. Usually the blood tests that are performed are:
1.Hemoglobin test which is done for determining whether a woman is anemic or not
2.Blood group OH for wife as well as husband
3.TSH thyroid
4.Australia Antigen
5.BDRL torch test
6.Blood sugar level test
7.Routine urine examination
8.HIV test is optional. However, it is always recommended.
Blood test during pregnancy also involves:
Prenatal screening during the second trimester may include various blood tests. The womans risk of having a baby will be indicated with birth defects and genetic conditions.
1.It is recommended to have a hemoglobin test for every trimester
2.PAPP-A test is also done for keeping a check on the protein that is produced by the placenta in early pregnancy. If the levels of protein are abnormal, it will result in chromosome abnormality.
3.AFP test is usually done within 18 weeks of pregnancy. This is also known as maternal serum AFP. This blood test during pregnancy second trimester is done for checking the levels of alpha-fetoprotein in the blood of pregnant women. If the levels of AFP are abnormal, it may result in miscalculated due date or down syndrome.
