Down syndromes is a genetic condition occurring when a person inherits three copies of the chromosome 21.
Statistics show that one in a thousand babies born per annum in the UK – roughly 750 babies a year – will have Down syndrome, and as such it is one of the most common causes of learning disability.

Having a Down syndrome test is vital if you are high risk e.g. if you are aged over 30 yrs (certainly 35 – 40+); the older a woman is in pregnancy the higher the risk of carrying a baby with the disorder.

A Down syndrome test is initially conducted during the tenth or eleventh week of pregnancy and most pregnant women are able to have this early stage test.

The first Down syndrome test will be an antenatal scan that calculates the development of the baby’s spine in conjunction with the average growth rate at that stage of development along with mum’s age.

Parents ought to be aware that the initial Down syndrome test only acknowledges those at risk and the level of the risk; it is not conclusive.

The Down syndrome test during later pregnancy is known as the “quadruple” test; a blood test that looks for four key chemicals (unconjugated oestriol, alpha-fetoprotein, inhibin-A and free beta-hCG) which is measured with her maternal age.

Should the Down syndrome test prove there is a good chance the baby could be effected the next stage is to provide blood which will be tested to ascertain whether

As a private team of medical professionals we at Innermost Secrets are highly qualified across each of our fields of expertise which combine all areas of pregnancy, antenatal care and fertility treatment. This means that we can offer the best pregnancy and fertility advice possible with our personal and private service which is offered from Spire Hospital in Cardiff, Wales.