Although the vast majority of pregnancies do not have complications, a small percentage of women do experience problems. Special testing during pregnancy often can identify problems early on, when effective treatment could resolve the problem. If your physician or midwife recommends any special testing in pregnancy, don't be afraid to ask questions about the test and the risk involved to both the mother and baby. The more information that you have, the better you will feel about making a decision to undergo testing during your pregnancy.

  Medical technology has made significant advances during the last 30 years. It is now possible to detect potentially serious problems in a developing fetus prior to birth. Your physician or midwife will take many factors into consideration before advising you to undergo additional testing in pregnancy. Some of these considerations include maternal age, pre-existing maternal health problems, experiences and outcomes of previous pregnancies, history of genetic or congenital disorders, presence of multiple fetuses or other high-risk conditions during pregnancy.

  All decisions to undergo diagnostic testing during pregnancy should be made jointly by both the parents and the physician or midwife. Before consenting to any procedure, you should feel comfortable that all of your questions have been satisfactorily answered and the risk and benefit of each test has been thoroughly explained.

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