Prenatal Panel
In the first trimester, you will probably receive a group of tests known in many health centers as the “prenatal panel.” This panel of tests usually includes, but is not limited to, a complete blood count (CBC), blood typing (including Rh screen), rubella viral antigen screen, and hepatitis panel.
Other tests may be obtained based on your health and previous pregnancy history. What is the CBC?A complete blood count (CBC) offers clues about your general health by analyzing three components of blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. If any of these cells is out of balance, you may have a condition that needs to be addressed. For example, a CBC estimates the volume of your red blood cells. This measurement is called the hematocrit. If your hematocrit is low, you may be anemic, which is a common condition during pregnancy. Your health-care provider may recommend you boost your iron stores eating more iron-rich foods such as liver, lean red meat, dried fruits and nuts, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified breads and cereals. An elevated or low white blood cell count may indicate infection or inflammation because these cells are the body’s infection fighters. Platelets are very small cellular components of blood that help the clotting process.
What is Blood Typing?A blood test will disclose your blood type if you don’t know it already. Each of the major blood types — A, B, AB or O — comes in two different varieties: negative and positive. People with a negative blood type lack a certain protein called an Rh antigen. People with a positive blood type have this antigen. This information is important because complications can arise if your baby is Rh positive and you aren’t. What is Rubella?Another blood test will confirm whether your blood has antibodies to the rubella virus. Antibodies are special proteins produced by your body’s immune system as a response to a foreign substance, such as a virus. If you previously had rubella you develop “natural immunity,” or protection against the illness and you’re unlikely to get it again. If you don’t have any immune defenses against rubella, your doctor will advise you to steer clear of anyone who might have the disease. This is because the disease can cause serious complications during pregnancy, especially during your first trimester. Potential complications include miscarriage, stillbirth, or significant birth defects such as deafness, stunted growth, heart irregularities and mental retardation. These complications are called congenital rubella syndrome, and although your doctor may give you antibodies to help fight off infection, they won’t entirely eliminate the possibility of your baby developing the syndrome. If you aren’t immune to rubella, pregnancy is not the time to get vaccinated because the virus in the injection could be passed on to your fetus. Consider getting vaccinated after your baby is born if you’re planning to have more children.What is Hepatitis B?A blood test is the only surefire way to tell whether you’ve been infected with hepatitis B, a virus that attacks the liver. Hepatitis B usually spreads through sexual contact, shared needles, or bodily fluids. Although many people with this disease are entirely symptom-free, you can pass on the infection to your baby during childbirth. Hepatitis B doesn’t usually cause problems during pregnancy for either you or your unborn child. However, during labor and delivery, large amounts of blood and other fluids are exchanged between mother and child, putting your infant at greater risk of exposure to the virus. If you are infected, To lower the risk of spreading the infection to your baby, he/she will be given hepatitis B immune globulin, as well as a vaccine immediately after birth. What is Syphilis?A blood test is also the best way to diagnose syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that can easily go unnoticed in women. This uncommon but serious infection can also be transmitted to your developing child during pregnancy and delivery. Syphilis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature rupture of the amniotic sac or membranes. An infant born with the disease may have brain, liver, spleen, skin, bone, ear, or eye problems. If you are infected, it’s important to get treated with penicillin –particularly during the first few months of pregnancy — to greatly lower the risk of long-term damage to your developing baby. Treating a newborn immediately will prevent further harm in many cases.