Quadruple Marker - Second Trimester Test

Quadruple Marker test : Purpose, advantages and procedure

Quadruple Marker test is an extremely necessary blood test that is generally recommended by the medical experts to perform during the second trimester of pregnancy. In other words, this test should be performed between 15-20 weeks of pregnancy.

So many crucial information about the pregnancy as well as the baby that the mother is carrying in her womb can be fetched through a quadruple marker test. To be more specific, detecting issues in the baby’s brain, neural tissues and spinal cord is easier with this specific test. Apart from that, looking from down syndrome or any such kind of genetic disorders is one of the major purposes of performing this test. As a matter of fact, The term ‘Quad’ is used as this test does the screening of four factors in the blood. A brief on those four factors are given below for you.

Factors that a Quadruple Marker test screens for

• AFP: AFP or Alpha Fetoprotein is a specific category of plasma protein that is produced in the liver. If the AFP level is higher than the normal level then it signifies the chances of neural tube defect in the baby.
• Unconjugated Estriol: The placenta and the baby in the womb produce this specific category of hormone. The low levels of UE indicate the presence of down syndrome of the baby. This can be considered as the prime reason why measuring the UE levels is one of the most effective procedures of predicting the chances of down syndrome in the baby.
• HCG: Higher level of this specific hormone named HCG indicates the chances of the presence of down syndrome in the baby.
• Inhibin A: this specific category of protein is produced by the ovaries and placenta. The increased levels of Inhibin A levels also indicates the chances of having a baby with down syndrome.

It is an approximate count that 1 in 720 babies take birth with down syndrome and a Quadruple test can detect 85-90 percent of the cases and this is the prime reason why it is considered as one of the most effective diagnostic procedures. As a matter of fact, the risks of continuation of a pregnancy can also be identified through this specific test. Besides, genetic disorders like issues in the nervous system of the baby can also be detected through a quadruple marker test.

Which women are in need of a Quadruple Marker test?

• Women who are 35 years old or older than that
• Women who are suffering from insulin dependent diabetes
• Women who had previously given birth to a child with the congenital disabilities
• Women who are having a family history of congenital disabilities

Apart from all the above mentioned points, the medical experts may also suggest this test to,

• Women who have consumed any harmful drug during pregnancy
• Women who have faced any viral infection during the hours of pregnancy
• Women who have been exposed to high radiation levels during the time of pregnancy

How is the Quadruple Marker test performed?

The Quadruple Screen test procedure is not really different from the process of the double and triple marker test. A certain amount of blood is fetched from the patient’s body, on which the test is performed. Once the samples are collected, you can easily get appropriate test reports within the shortest possible span of time. As per information fetched, no specific preparations are required to appear for this test.

What does the test report mean?

It’s not really a big deal to understand the report of a Quadruple Marker test. If the test report is normal, then you are not at an increased risk of giving birth to a baby that is having any kind of birth defects. In case of abnormal test reports, it is always recommended to have a consultation with a genuine and reliable medical expert as soon as possible. Positive test results can also lead you to some more tests. A short brief on that is given below for you.

Tests you may need additionally if the report is positive

• Prenatal cell-free DNA screening evaluates if the baby is at a risk of taking birth with down syndrome.
• Targeted ultrasound can help to determine the presence of neural tube defects.
• Amniocentesis can be used to screen for chromosomal condition and also to screen for neural tube defects.

However, it also needs to be mentioned that this specific category of test just indicates the overall chances of a mother carrying a baby with chromosomal conditions, neural tube defects etc. It is mandatorily mentionable that a negative screen result doesn’t really guarantee that your baby is not having any of these conditions or will take birth with any of these conditions. It is always a wise decision to have a clear conversation about Quadruple test in pregnancy with any reliable medical expert for the purpose of knowing more about it.

Another thing to be concerned about is the false positive results. It is a fact that sometimes the test report comes positive but the baby is not having the down syndrome. Additionally it may cause unnecessary anxiety to the mother, which can be the reason for several types of complicacies during the hours of pregnancy.

It is not really a big deal anymore to get the best level facilities of a quadruple marker test as a certain number of advanced health checkup centres like Thyrocare have already started to sell a wide variety of test packages for a very reasonable price. It is easier now to book tests online and gain information about the Quadruple Marker test price.

They have always maintained a standard level of service quality and they have always been known for providing their services for a very reasonable price, so you don’t need to worry about carrying a huge expense. Apart from all these, they have also enabled the facilities of free home sample collection, so you don’t even need to visit the pathology labs manually. Get in touch with them today to fetch more necessary information in this regard.