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Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2006 Dec 14;
First-trimester combined screening for trisomy 21 in a predominantly Chinese population. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China SAR.
To examine the effectiveness of first-trimester fetal trisomy 21 screening using a combination of maternal age, nuchal translucency thickness (NT) and maternal serum free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) levels in a predominantly Chinese population in Hong Kong. This was a prospective study over a 1.5-year period of 2990 women who underwent combined screening for trisomy 21 between 11 + 0 and 13 + 6 weeks of gestation in a university fetal medicine unit. NT was measured according to the criteria set by The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF), maternal serum free beta-hCG and PAPP-A levels were measured, and the risk of trisomy 21 was calculated using The FMF's algorithm. Fetal karyotyping was advised when the risk was 1 : 300 or above. All subjects were followed up for pregnancy and fetal outcome.
Of the 2990 women who underwent the screening program, 99% were Chinese. There were 57 twin pregnancies, giving a total of 3047 fetuses. Thirty-one percent of the women were 35 years old or above. One hundred and eighty-five (6.1%) fetuses were screen-positive; this included 14 cases of trisomy 21 and 17 cases of other chromosomal abnormalities. The positive predictive value was 16.7%. Among the 2862 screen-negative fetuses, only 18 (0.6%) cases had an unknown fetal outcome. There were no cases in which trisomy 21 was missed and the infant was liveborn.
First-trimester combined screening for fetal trisomy 21 is highly effective among Chinese subjects. Please click on the required question. DISCLAIMER The aim of this web site is to provide a general guide and it is not intended as a substitute for a consultation with an appropriate specialist in respect of individual care and treatment. |