NOTICE: New Maternal Screening Tests are now available as part of the Iowa Maternal Screening Program. Please click on the links to the left and below to access information about these tests.

The information includes descriptions and comparisons between the different Maternal Screening options; specimen collection instructions and test requisition forms; and "Reference Materials for implementing New Maternal Screening Tests" which includes sample patient reports and text used in reporting the results for each of the screen tests.

Reference Materials for implementing New Maternal Screening Tests

• Quad Screen
• Integrated Screen
• First Trimester Screen
• NTD Screen

Early prenatal care is an important part of preparing for the birth of a child. Although most babies are born healthy, about 3 to 4% are born with a birth defect or genetic problem.

The Iowa Maternal Screening Program offers several screening tests which provide patients and healthcare providers with information about the pregnancy and the developing fetus. These screening tests are available to all women during pregnancy and are designed to identify women with an increased risk to have a baby with Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, or an open neural tube defect. They may also identify women with an increased risk to have a baby with other kinds of birth defects or women at risk to develop a problem later in pregnancy.

Fortunately, for most women the results of maternal screening will be screen-negative, which indicates that the risk of a fetal abnormality is low. For those women whose result is screen-positive, this does not automatically mean that a problem exists, but rather that there is an increased risk for either a birth defect or a chromosome abnormality. Further testing, such as detailed ultrasound and/or amniocentesis is required to determine if a fetal abnormality actually exists.

For more information about the Iowa Maternal Screening Program, including the current screening options available, please visit the program website at http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/programs/screening/.