Antenatal and postnatal screening for you and your baby
Some of the screening tests offered can only be performed in early pregnancy, so it is important that you contact maternity services as soon as you have confirmed your pregnancy to ensure you can be offered all available screening tests.
During your first booking appointment your community midwife will discuss and offer you a range of screening tests, including blood tests and ultrasound scans. These are designed to check your health and your baby’s health and development.
Screening is offered to all pregnant women for:
Infectious diseases
HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis because the chance of the infection passing from mum to baby can be greatly reduced with the correct treatment.
Sickle cell and thalassemia
These are genetic conditions passed down through families. If two people who are carriers have a baby together, there is an increased risk that their baby could inherit a haemoglobin disorder. It is also offered to the baby’s biological father if the mother is found to be a carrier of or have a sickle cell or thalassemia condition.
Dating scan
Combined screening offers screening for Down’s Syndrome, Edwards’ Syndrome and Patau’s Syndrome and comprises an ultrasound scan and a blood test between 11+2 and 14+1 weeks. If you are later in your pregnancy you could have a quad test (blood test) which will screen for Down syndrome alone. More information is on the government website.
Mid-pregnancy scan
The scan between 18 weeks and 20+6 weeks looks at your baby in detail to look at all its organs and check it is developing properly rather than whether you are expecting a boy or a girl. There is a list of conditions that sonographers look for some are easy to see but others are more difficult and may not be seen at all. More information is on the government website.
Choosing whether or not to have these screening tests is an important decision. You do not have to have any tests offered, however to enable you to make a decision it is important that you understand the information given and the purpose of the tests.
The complete midwifery package includes all antenatal appointments with the midwives, ultrasound scans and all routine blood tests as required. The midwives are available on-call 24 hours a day for advice.
Further information on antenatal and newborn screening
- Screening tests for you and your baby leaflet
- ARC – national charity supporting parents through antenatal screening and testing
- Positive About Down Syndrome
- SOFT-UK support organisation for Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18
- Screening in pregnancy – information leaflet
- Easy Read Screening Guides – The information is available in 12 other languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Somali and Urdu.
Screening team contact information
Screening Coordinator based in Grimsby – 03033 305821
Deputy Screening Coordinator based in Scunthorpe – 03033 303019
Screening Failsafe Officer based in Grimsby – 03033 305821
