Penta Screen Testing

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Today, I am getting blood work done for my Penta Screen through Quest Diagnostics. The Penta screen checks to see if my baby has any chromosomal abnormalities using 5 different markers. We are hoping that the baby doesn't have Spina Bifida, Down Syndrome, or truthfully anything else abnormal.

My pregnancy has been great so far. However great, we still want to make sure things are going great for the baby. This screen isn't 100% accurate, but it will give us a better idea of our odds.Unless the odds are terrible, we are not going to be choosing an Amniocentesis. The risks of miscarriage are great when that is performed.

I'm pretty sure my blood sample will be mailed off to an independent lab, so it may be awhile before I get my results.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Pros and Cons of Amniocentesis (brighthub.com)
• Blood test for Down's syndrome (telegraph.co.uk)