A healthy child is every parent's greatest wish. Parents would do anything to give their child a good and healthy start in life. Especially for parents at higher risk of a problem pregnancy, it is very reassuring to know that their unborn child is healthy.

This is an incentive for many expectant parents to take advantage of prenatal diagnostic procedures during pregnancy.

In many countries, prenatal diagnostic tests are available during pregnancy to check the health of the mother and child and identify problems. Prenatal diagnostic tests check signs of any congenital malformations and developmental disorders in the fetus.

It is important to talk to your doctor from the beginning about any procedure. You should get detailed information from your doctor and discuss with both him and your partner the possible consequences of an abnormal result.

An example of an additional prenatal screening procedure is what is called a first-trimester screening between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. It allows early detection of a large number of risks to pregnancy in a way that does not harm the baby. About half of the possible defects in the organs of the fetus are detected during this time, and the possible risk of pre-eclampsia or premature birth can also be determined.

You can also assess your individual risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. The risk assessment is based on a combination of the mother's age, the concentration of certain hormones in the mother's blood and the ultrasound. The procedure includes cervical measurement of the fetus (ultrasound at the back of the neck). An increased diameter indicates a higher risk of a chromosomal disorder including Down syndrome.

If you choose the first trimester prenatal test, you will be notified of the result in the form of a risk level.