How many weeks of pregnancy is best for nt

Pregnant women need to do many tests during pregnancy, and one of them is very important. Therefore, every pregnant woman should do this test, which is the NT test. But in fact, the NT test is to check the position of the baby in the belly. Many pregnant mothers don’t know what this test is, how to do it, or when to do it. So, at what week of pregnancy is it best to do NT?

How many weeks of pregnancy is it best to do nt

Because the fetus is too small to observe the nuchal translucency before 11 weeks of pregnancy, and the fetus gradually grows after 14 weeks of pregnancy, it may absorb unnecessary blood from the nuchal translucency and affect the test results. Therefore, it is best for pregnant women to do NT within 11-14 weeks of pregnancy to avoid inaccurate test results.

The nuchal translucency scan is usually performed between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. It is technically difficult to perform an NT test before 11 weeks because the fetus is still very small. After 14 weeks, the water stored in the fetus's subcutaneous tissue may be absorbed by the developing lymphatic system, making it impossible to obtain accurate test data. Therefore, pregnant women need to go to the hospital for NT examination within 11-14 weeks of pregnancy. Generally, a nuchal translucency scanner can be performed in a tertiary hospital or a large specialized gynecological hospital.

Why do I need to do Down syndrome screening after doing NT test?

The NT test is to conduct an early diagnosis by screening the thickness of the fetal nuchal translucency to determine whether the fetus has any abnormalities. If the thickness of the nuchal translucency exceeds 3mm, it will indicate that the fetus suffers from certain sex chromosome diseases or is underdeveloped.

Down syndrome screening is performed by extracting 2 mm of venous blood from the expectant mother. It is a test that does not harm the fetus and is usually performed between 14 and 18 weeks of pregnancy. If the blood cell screening test is positive for expectant mothers, an amniotic fluid test is required to confirm the diagnosis and treatment method. Down syndrome screening can also detect pregnant women at high risk of neural tube defects, 18-somy syndrome and 13-somy syndrome.

Therefore, when doing NT screening, if the gestational age and the baby's condition are compatible, the doctor will also recommend that expectant mothers do Down syndrome screening to prevent it from happening.

Sometimes women are pregnant, but sometimes some women don’t know what problems they should check. Sometimes we don't even know when to have a physical examination. Of course, the NT test is also a very important test because it can check the nuchal translucency. This test is usually done around three months into the pregnancy, because the fetus has not yet formed.