Siles Health
Home

The Lounge

Pregnancy Screening & Testing

Siles Health Obstetrics

Ultrasounds are interpreted by an ultrasound specialist: a sonologist in Melbourne.

 

Specialist Obstetric

 

We offer a range of obstetric ultrasounds tailored to every stage of pregnancy:

 

Early Pregnancy Assessment: This helps in determining the age of your pregnancy (dating ultrasound).

 

Ultrasound at 10 Weeks and 3 Days:
  • Preeclampsia screening (after 11 weeks and 3 days)
  • NIPT testing
  • Combined screening

 

12-14 Week Ultrasound: Choose with or without the combined first trimester genetic screening, also known as nuchal translucency. This is an early morphology ultrasound examination.

 

20-21 Week Ultrasound: This is the second trimester complete morphology ultrasound examination.

 

Growth Ultrasound in the Third Trimester: Get a comprehensive fetal well-being and growth analysis.

 

Cervical Length Assessment: Understand the health and status of the cervix to predict and prevent premature delivery.

 

Note: If you undergo a blood test, allow 5-10 days for its transportation to Melbourne and the laboratory to process the results.

 

For your convenience, we can instantly send images and videos from any of our ultrasounds directly to the patient's or doctor's phone.

 

 

First Trimester Combined Genetic Screening

 

Collection Period: Blood samples are taken between 10.5 weeks and 13 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy.

 

About The Test: This screening assesses the risk of the baby having chromosomal abnormalities, specifically:

 

- Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)

- Trisomy 18

- Trisomy 13

 

The test combines data from a maternal blood sample with ultrasound measurements. Additionally, the blood component gives insights into placental function.

 

Results: Results are provided during the 12-13 week ultrasound session.

 

Pre-eclampsia and Intra-uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) Screening

 

By measuring: Pregnancy hormones and maternal blood pressures and urine samples for protein levels. Ultrasound is used for uterine artery Doppler screening, serial fetal growth and placental dysfunction. This helps provide us with earlier recognition and in turn preventative intervention to those at risk.

 

First Trimester Combined Screening with Pre-eclampsia risk

 

Collection Period: Blood samples are taken between 10 weeks, 3 days and 13 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy.

 

About the Test:

This combined screening assesses the risk for:

  • Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
  • Trisomy 18
  • Trisomy 13

 

The test not only evaluates the aforementioned risks but also identifies women with a heightened risk for early onset pre-eclampsia. It involves a blood test measuring pregnancy hormones, specifically PAPP-A and PLGF. Factors such as maternal blood pressure, weight, and family history are also considered to derive the result.

 

Results: Results are shared during the 12-13 week ultrasound session.

 

20 Week Scan

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)

 

Is a simple blood test (from 10 weeks, 3 days of gestation), which provides pregnant women with an extremely accurate, early, screening test, checking for the most common chromosome and/or genetic conditions, including Down syndrome as well as the option of finding out the gender.

 

NIPT was introduced in 2013, and is now the “gold standard” in prenatal screening. NIPT doesn’t replace the importance of a full 12-13 week obstetric ultrasound and should not be considered a replacement for CVS or amniocentesis.

Siles Health provides NIPT screening in combination with an ultrasound.

 

The pre NIPT ultrasound is a quick scan to confirm the gestational age, that the pregnancy is ongoing and the number of embryo’s present. Upon completion of your pre NIPT scan you will be offered a consultation with one of our experienced Genetic counsellors.

 

The Genetic Counsellor will provide the patient with information about the NIPT screening options, so they can make a fully informed decision about which NIPT screening is best for them. All our genetic counsellors are qualified phlebotomists, which makes for convenient, immediate collection of any blood samples required.

 

Siles Health’s “point of difference”, is that we provide different NIPT screening options. The different NIPT’s provide the patient with a greater choice of different genetic conditions they can screen for in their pregnancy, there are also turnaround time and price differences.

 

NIPT: Cell free DNA

 

Option 1

 

Bloods collected from 10w3d Screening for:

  • Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
  • Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome)
  • Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)
  • Rare Trisomies
  • The more common sex chromosome conditions and fetal sex
  • Unbalanced translocations

Plus whole chromosome analysis which includes:

- Missing genetic material (deletions) or extra genetic material (duplications) across all chromosomes (>10 megabases).

 

Option 2

 

Bloods collected from 10w3d Screening for:

  • Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
  • Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome)
  • Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)
  • The more common sex chromosome conditions and fetal sex (optional)

 

Option 3

 

Bloods collected from 10w3d Screening for:

  • Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
  • Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome)
  • Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)
  • The more common sex chromosome conditions and fetal sex (optional)

Plus the Microdeletions Panel:

  • 1p36 deletion syndrome
  • DiGeorge syndrome (Deletion 22q11.2)
  • Angelman syndrome
  • Prader-Willi syndrome
  • Cri-du-chat (5p-) syndrome
  • Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome

 

Option 4

 

Carrier Screening

Bloods collected prior to conception and up to 14 weeks of pregnancy (recommended).

Testing Info: Screening test to identify women who are carriers of:

  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Spinal Muscular Atrophy
  • Fragile X Syndrome