Many medical tests sound scarier than they really are. Many patients that I see walk through the doors of the medical office are completely petrified of the names of the test they are about to go through. They walk out with a satisfaction that they have conquered the test, as they should feel. Medical tests are not fun in the least and are probably not even near No. 1 on your to-do list. Working in the medical field, I don’t even surrender easily to medical tests. I prefer to run screaming the other way while throwing things at the doctor, hoping to trip him.
However, as more medical tests surface and science becomes more in-depth, testing has become a lot less scary. Chorionic Villus Testing has become increasingly more popular through the last year. Most of the patients we see that have this test done just want to know what to expect.
Chorionic Villus Testing is a common test that is done in the case of a fetus to detect genetic disorders. There is a large number of disorders that CVS can test for, including Down Syndrome.
Disadvantages of this test:
The disadvantage of this test is that it has to be done early on. For the most part, it is done between 11 and 12 weeks. You can find a clinic that will do this test as late as 13 weeks, but it is not often.
If you have missed your window for this test, an amniocentesis can be done starting at 16 weeks.
The Advantages:
This test is very helpful for a mother who has an increased risk of having children with genetic disorders. It can be done much sooner than an amniocentesis and within the window of abortion age. This means that if the fetus is determined to have a genetic disorder that will severely inhibit their life, the mother still has the option for carrying through an abortion.
How the test is done:
The test is done by inserting a needle into the mother’s stomach and into the placenta. A small amount of blood is removed from the placenta and tested.
This test can be used to test for several hundred genetic disorders. It is not used to test for all of these disorders. Only the disorders that the fetus is predisposed to due to family history.
What is the difference between CVS and amniocentesis?
The difference between the CVS and the amniocentesis is that the CVS cannot test for neural tube defects. However, these can be tested for in the second trimester with an ultrasound.
Serious Risks:
There are serious risks that come along with CVS testing. These risks are miscarriage, bleeding like you would during a period and placental rupture. Many of these would result ultimately in the termination of the pregnancy.
However, for a certain number of the cases, immediate miscarriage may not happen. Many will miscarry regardless of whether the test is done or not due to fetal abnormalities. Also, it is not determined how many of the miscarriages are caused by the test since during the time the test can be done, there is a higher rate of natural miscarriage.
After the baby is born:
Many parents do not want to risk the CVS testing. They rely on the tests that are done at the hospital. One of these tests is the APGAR test.
Reasons for having the test done:
This test can be very beneficial to those who have a genetic problem that may be passed on to the baby. This is because early intervention can help people prepare for the fact that their child may have a disability and help determine what the child’s quality of life will be. In the event that their child will be severely disabled, the parent may choose to terminate the pregnancy.
Reasons not to have the test:
This test can actually cause a high risk of miscarriage. This is because the amniotic sac could rupture, which can cause the miscarriage to be unavoidable. Once there is a rupture, the pregnancy cannot be saved even if the baby is fine.
The public view:
Many people think this type of genetic testing is a form of playing God. It is a way of weeding out the imperfect child and increases the number of abortions. There is no guarantee that this test is 100 percent accurate. I am not going to go into the debate of whether or not I am for or against testing, or abortion. I do not debate this because I am not the one that is in the situation, nor am I facing what these parents face. The only view that really matters in this situation is the parents of the fetus and their ability to care for child with the disability that they are facing.