Pre-test counselling for prenatal screening should be provided to all women who present early in their pregnancy. Your patient may ask questions such as the following:

• What is prenatal screening?

• What is my chance of having a baby affected by a chromosomal condition?

• What is my chance I will have a healthy baby?

• What screening or testing is available in our area?

• What can the screen (or test) detect?

• How accurate is it?

• What are the limitations of the test? What doesn’t the test tell me about my baby?

• What are the next steps if the test indicates there is a chromosomal condition or birth defect?

• Does this test provide the information I want to receive?

Many of these questions can be answered through reviewing this website. Your patient will also have the opportunity to speak with an MFM nurse prior to her FTS appointment if she has further questions.

Post-Test Counselling - Most patients receive their FTS results at the time of their NT ultrasound appointment. If your patient does not receive her results at that time, you can expect to receive a copy of her results to share with her. If your patient has had a positive screen, she will have been contacted by a nurse or MFM physician to advise her of the results.

If you have to provide your patient with her results you will find two types of risk on her report

• ‘adjusted risk’ – is the combined risk calculation for the first trimester screen and takes into consideration the woman’s age, ethnicity, smoking, diabetes, method of conception, weight, gestational age, fetal measurements, the nuchal translucency, as well as the maternal serum sample

• ‘background risk’ – is the risk calculation for this woman based on her age alone

A negative screen for Down syndrome is an adjusted risk estimate of less than 1:300; a negative screen for trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 is an adjusted risk estimate of less than 1:150

A positive screen for Down syndrome is an adjusted risk estimate of greater than 1:300; a positive screen for trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 is an adjusted risk estimate of greater than 1:150. Some women may received an adjusted risk result that is increased over their background risk (i.e. the background risk for a 30 year old woman is 1/952 but her adjusted risk is determined to be 1/700 by FTS). This is still a negative screen. All women with a positive FTS will be offered the option of invasive testing.

If you have questions about FTS results, please do not hesitate to contact the ERA program coordinator at 403-943-8382.