7800 Wolf Trail Cove, Germantown, TN 38138 • (901) 682-9222 • Open Weekdays 8:00 - 5:00
TRIPLE SCREEN TEST
The Triple Screen is a prenatal blood test that measures alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and unconjugated estriol (uE3). The test is performed between the 12th and 19th week of pregnancy to provide you and your doctor valuable information about you and your growing fetus.
What does the Triple Screen measure or indicate?
The Triple Test can help identify one or more of the following:
- Birth defects such as spina bifida, cardiac anomalies, and Down syndrome
- Multiple fetuses
- Possibility of premature delivery or low birth weight baby
Why should I have a Triple Screen performed?
The Triple Screen is strictly a screening test that is used to indicate if further testing might be necessary. It is harmless and painless. Most importantly, it can lead to information about your baby that can allow you and your doctor to prepare for delivery, birth, and neonatal care of your newborn.
What if the results are abnormal?
An abnormal result is not definitive. An abnormal result indicates that your doctor will prescribe additional tests such as amniocentesis. If those tests come back positive, then you and your doctor will be able to prepare and instruct yourselves on the best way to care for the baby or in some cases, it gives you the choice to terminate the pregnancy.
Are normal results a guarantee?
A normal test is not a guarantee. The Triple Screen will detect approximately 75% of all ventral wall defects, 85% of all neural tube defects, and 60% of all Down syndrome birth defects. Some birth defects can be missed by the test.
Please note: 95% of all women who undergo prenatal testing receive reassuring news that their babies do not have a disorder. The Triple Screen is just a screening test.
Thomas G. Stovall, M.D.
Dr. Stovall is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee and Partner of Women's Health Specialists, Inc.
Date Published: 2004-03-09
7800 Wolf Trail Cove, Germantown, TN 38138
Phone: (901) 682-9222; Fax: (901) 682-9505