Is it possible to detect down syndrome in babies during pregnancy?
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Hello, my sister recently aborted her baby, she said she did this because her child had down syndrome. Her doctor told her that baby had down syndrome where a child gets an extra chromosome 21for a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. The extra chromosome 21 attaches to another chromosome. This extra genetic material causes physical features and developmental delays in people with Down syndrome. The features are no different if the extra chromosome is by itself or attached to another one. She told that her baby won’t be normal so she decided to abort it. Is it possible to detect down syndrome in babies during pregnancy?
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@theena Hello, Yes it can be detected during pregnancy through Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and Amniocentesis. In CVS, cells are taken from the placenta and used to analyze the fetal chromosomes. This test is typically performed in the first trimester, between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. In amniocentesis, A sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus is withdrawn through a needle inserted into the mother's uterus. This sample is then used to analyze the chromosomes of the fetus. Doctors usually perform this test in the second trimester, after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This test also carries a very low risk of miscarriage.