Types of Medical Tests to Detect Disorders For Babies

The most important way to have a healthy baby is by taking good care of oneself. It is the most effective way to prevent a child from having an illness or disorder. However, there are things that people can’t control. A lot of parents or soon to be parents would like to undergo different tests to know if their baby is perfectly healthy and free from diseases, or somehow detect disorders in their baby before they are born. Below are the top 3 most common types of medical tests:

Prenatal Test

Prenatal Test is one of the first medical tests to detect disorders a child may have. The first step of prenatal test include blood test, iron levels, blood glucose level, and Rh factor. These four tests are essential in determining the blood type, anemic status, diabetes, and inherited proteins that can affect the unborn child. Soon to be mothers will also be tested for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis, and immunity to rubella as these illnesses can cause birth defects to the baby. In addition, a pap smear will be performed to test early cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. Blood pressure check up is also needed as it can interfere the blood supply to the placenta. Also, urinalysis is done to examine urinary tract infections.

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Birth Defects Test

Birth Defects Test is executed in order to identify possible medical problems with the baby during pregnancy. Birth defects occur when there is something wrong with the genes, internal organ, or body chemistry. The test can determine different kinds of birth defects including genetic disorders such as down syndrome and trisomy 18; hereditary diseases like Tay-Sachs and cystic fibrosis; and structural problems such as heart problems, spina bifida and neural tube defects.

Furthermore, there are two types of birth defects tests namely screening and diagnostic tests. Screening tests present the susceptibility of the baby to have a certain birth defect. Blood tests of the mother and ultrasounds are the process of screening tests. However, diagnostic tests are done by taking some of the baby’s cells to look at the DNA structure.

Newborn Screening Test

All babies in Australia are given the Newborn Screening Test to detect if there’s any medical disorders that can affect the child’s development. Newborn Screening, also known as Heel Prick Test, is done by taking a blood sample of a child and test to determine any illnesses that might be present before symptoms are visible. The screening test can detect signs of more than 20 congenital disorders such as  congenital hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, galactosaemia, and other rare disorders.

  Moreover, early diagnosis leads to early treatment. It’s the main reason why screening test is very important. Early treatment can lessen the effects of the illnesses and prevent serious intellectual or physical disabilities. Apparently, there are no alternatives in identifying babies with these medical conditions. In fact, babies do not show symptoms of illness at birth.