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What is pregnancy tests?
A pregnancy test measures a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception. See also: HCG - urine HCG - serum - qualitative HCG - serum - quantitative
Read more on www.nlm.nih.gov
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Genetic testing
Several types of genetic testing are done for different reasons: Diagnostic testing. If you have symptoms of a disease that may be caused by genetic alterations, genetic testing can reveal if you have the suspected disorder. Examples of disorders for which genetic testing may be used to confirm a diagnosis include adult polycystic kidney disease, iron overload (hemochromatosis) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Presymptomatic testing. If you have a family history of a genetic condition, undergoing genetic testing before you have symptoms may show if you're at risk of developing that condition. Carrier testing. If you or your partner has a family history of a genetic disorder, such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis, you may choose to have genetic testing before you have children. Genetic testing can determine if you carry a copy of an altered gene that would put a child at risk of developing the disorder. Prenatal testing. If you are pregnant, tests are available that can detect abnormalities in your fetus's genes. Spina bifida and Down syndrome are two genetic disorders that health care providers often screen for using prenatal genetic testing. Newborn screening. This is the most common type of genetic testing. In many states, it's required that all newborns be tested for gene abnormalities that cause specific conditions, such as congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria. This type of genetic testing is important because if a disorder is found, care and treatment can begin right away. Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Pregnancy Tests << Frequently Asked Questions << womenshealth.gov
Apr 1, 2006 ... All pregnancy tests work by detecting a certain hormone in the urine or blood that is only there when a woman is pregnant. ... Read more on
www.womenshealth.gov
When to Take Pregnancy Tests: Home Tests, False Negatives, and ...
WebMD explains how pregnancy tests work, when to take one, and how accurate they are. Read more on
www.webmd.com
Pregnancy test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A pregnancy test attempts to determine whether or not a woman is pregnant. Modern pregnancy tests look for chemical markers associated with pregnancy. ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Pregnancy Tests - Take a Pregnancy Test to Find Out if You're ...
Am I pregnant? It's a legitimate question for many women and one that gets asked frequent. From the first pregnancy symptom to the pregnancy test - how do ... Read more on
pregnancy.about.com
Pregnancy Tests
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Take a Pregnancy Test – When to Take a Pregnancy Test
Dec 9, 2010 ... For many women, deciding when to take a pregnancy test is a serious source of anxiety as the two-week wait ends. Should you take a test ... Read more on
infertility.about.com
ACOG Education Pamphlet AP133 -- Routine Tests in Pregnancy
All blood tests may not be done at the same doctor visit. Some may be done early in pregnancy and some may be done later in pregnancy. Blood tests are done ... Read more on
www.acog.org
Pregnancy Test Information on MedicineNet.com
Mar 19, 2011 ... Learn about the different types of a pregnancy test, home pregnancy tests and pregnancy tests in the doctor's office. Read more on
www.medicinenet.com
Pregnancy Tests - At Home Pregnancy Tests
Learn how at home pregnancy tests work. Discover the facts about home pregnancy test accuracy. Read more on
womenshealth.about.com
Contents
Beta hCG
To confirm and monitor pregnancy or to help diagnose and monitor trophoblastic disease or germ cell tumors
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www.labtestsonline.org
Home Pregnancy Test
If you think you are pregnant, you may want to test yourself at home with a home pregnancy test. You can buy test kits at a drug store without a prescription. Home use kits measure a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. However, these tests are qualitative, the results are either positive or negative for pregnancy. The most sensitive test of pregnancy is best performed by a laboratory using a sample of your blood. These tests not only detect hCG but also can indicate the amount (quantitative tests) of the hormone, which doubles every 2-3 days during the first several weeks of pregnancy. These more sensitive tests can tell how long you have been pregnant and even detect possible problems with the pregnancy. Your health care provider can perform this test.
Read more on
www.emedicinehealth.com
HCG blood test - qualitative
A qualitative HCG blood test checks to see if there is a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin in your blood. HCG is a hormone normally produced during pregnancy. See also: HCG urine test Quantitative pregnancy test (reveals specific level of HCG in your blood)
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
HCG blood test - quantitative
A quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test measures the specific level of HCG in the blood. HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. See also: HCG urine test HCG blood test - qualitative
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Pregnancy
It is common for pregnant women to experience several of the following conditions...
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www.nhs.uk
Pandemic flu
If you are pregnant, you are in one of the high-risk groups for swine flu, so it is important to read this page carefully and follow the advice to protect yourself and your baby.
Read more on
www.nhs.uk
Toxoplasma test
The test is done soon after pregnancy to detect toxoplasmosis infection in a newborn baby. It may also be used to screen pregnant women for the antibodies to the parasite.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Hearing and vision tests for children
Babies can respond to sights and sounds from an early age. Midwives and hospital staff carry out a number of tests on every newborn baby. These tests help find any problems that a child is born with. These include genetic (inherited) conditions, such as being born with cataracts, or the results of any infections caught by the mother during pregnancy. For example, there is a small risk that a woman who catches rubella during pregnancy might have a child with a hearing impairment. In 2000 the government announced that every newborn baby in England would have a hearing test during the newborn period. This was implemented by March 2006.
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www.nhs.uk
Prenatal testing
Prenatal testing provides information about your baby's health before he or she is born. Testing is available to pregnant women Two diagnostic procedures are common in prenatal testing. Amniocentesis involves testing a sample of amniotic fluid from the womb. CVS (or chorionic villus sampling) involves taking a tiny tissue sample from outside the sac where the fetus grows.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Glucose challenge test
The glucose challenge test measures your body's response to sugar (glucose). The glucose challenge test is done during pregnancy to screen for gestational diabetes a type of diabetes that develops only during pregnancy.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Fetal fibronectin test
The fetal fibronectin test is a simple procedure. The test poses no risk of miscarriage or other pregnancy complications.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com