First Trimester Nuchal Translucency Screening: Should It Be Standard of Care?

摘要

Screening for Down syndrome has evolved significantly over the last number of years. Much research has been presented describing sonographic features that may be useful for the prenatal detection of Down syndrome, ranging from second trimester "soft markers" such as short femur, nuchal fold enlargement, or echogenic intracardiac foci, to first trimester features such as increased nuchal translucency or absent fetal nose bone. Despite the presence of a multitude of studies documenting the association between these various sonographic features and Down syndrome, the decision on what screening tests should be organized and implemented on a population basis is much less clear.