Encephalocele Anomaly Scan This scan is also referred to as second trimester anomaly scan or level-II scan. It is a detailed scan done at 18-24 weeks during which we examine each part of the fetal body, to see if the baby has normal organs and...

PRENATAL SCREENING OF DOWN SYNDROME Down syndrome is the commonest form of chromosomal disorder worldwide. Down syndrome is the commonest cause of severe mental retardation. Every pregnant woman has a chance (risk of having a child with Down...

GENETIC ANALYSIS Prenatal paternity testing is offered through chorionic villous sampling or amniocentesis, while sex determination is carried out often as part of the resolution of some sex-linked conditions.

INFECTION SCREENING Infections in early pregnancy when the fetal organs are being laid down are recognized causes of birth defects. The organisms or infection types include syphilis, cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, rubella, toxoplasmosis and of recent parvo...

DNA ANALYSIS In approximately 1% of cases, the test will need to be repeated. This is because the cells will not grow or amplify in the laboratory and the results are inconclusive. The woman is advised to rest for about 30 days after the procedure and...

ESTRIOL Estriol was originally added to AFP and HCG to enhance detection of Down syndrome. Estriol concentrations do not influence risk calculations for ONTDs. Researches have shown that Estriol improves Down syndrome detection by only a marginal 1-2%,...

ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the best marker known for detection of open neural tube defects (ONTDS). It tends to be elevated in the blood of women and fetuses with ONTDS, and tends to be lower in the blood of women carrying fetuses with...

MATERNAL SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY (MSB) In maternal serum biochemistry, certain biochemical substances are measured in the blood of the mother at specific times in pregnancy. These substances are called hormones. Their values vary depending on which abnormality...

FETAL BLOOD SAMPLING (FBS) Is also referred to as Cordocentesis. It involves the introduction and aspiration of fetal blood from the fetal umbilical cord, or liver under continuous ultrasound guidance. It is a second trimester procedure usually done after the 18th...

Nuchal Translucency Nasal Bone Ductus Venosus NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY (NT) SCAN This is the use of the ultrasound scan to measure the fluid at the back of the neck of the baby. All babies give the fluid at the back of the neck,  which is best measured at...

PRENATAL SCREENING Prenatal screening refers to procedures that can identify a subset of the  general population that is at an increased risk of congenital abnormality. This subset is referred to as the high risk group. The type and timing of prenatal...

PRENATAL GENETIC COUNSELING Counseling is the most important aspect of our service. This is the provision of information to patients that will enable them to make an informed option about prenatal diagnosis. It is a very important aspect of...

GENETIC DISORDERS Genetic defects may occur either as a single gene defect or genetic syndromes. The commoner of the two groups are the single gene defects with examples as Tay-Sachs in the Jewish population, Sickle Cell disease in...

MULTI FACTORICAL DISORDERS AND STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES These are defects caused by an interplay of environmental factors and gene that is expressed usually as physical defects. The commonest physical defect are the open neural tube defects...

CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES Chromosomes are units of genetic information. Each individual have a complete set of chromosomes that is referred to as normal chromosomal complement. Abnormalities however may arise from a deficiency in either the total number of chromosomes...

Amniocentesis The main source of amniotic fluid is fetal urine. By analyzing a small sample of amniotic fluid, we can learn many things. For example, amniotic fluid studies can detect conditions such as Down syndrome, trisomy 18, trisomy 13 and other...

PERENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE Sickle cell disorder is the commonest single gene disorder among blacks. Sickle cell disease gene is found in about 25-50% of Nigerian Population. About 100,00 children are born annually with a serious Sickle cell disorder...