Pregnancy is a piece of great news for the whole family, a time of excess enjoyment, and excitement but at the same time, it’s the most crucial period for the health of the mother.
During the first trimester ( 3 months) of your pregnancy, you surely might be having a lot of questions regarding your foetus and your health. The gender of your baby also keeps bothering you and also some other details regarding pregnancy remain like a mystery.
During pregnancy, there is a test taken called the double marker pregnancy test in which your blood sample is taken for further analysis and it helps the doctors to detect if there are any deviations in your foetus.
When pregnant a woman goes through a test known as the double marker test or also known as the do-all market test which means a screening test of the maternal serum. Generally, this test is formed during the incubation period.
The double marker test is done to scan the amount of a pregnancy hormone known as the chorionic gonadotropin and also the plasma protein which is pregnancy-associated in the erythrocytes.
This test is not advisable for every female but especially for females who are above the age of 35 as there’s more chance of a risk of delivering a low syndrome baby. There’s another test known as the nuchal translucency (NT)which is in correspondence with the double marker test.
These two tests confirm the diagnosis of genetic deformation.
About Test
About Double Marker Test in Pregnancy
When & Why
When & Why go for Double Marker Test
A double marker test is recommended if the pregnant woman is above the age of 35 years. The doctors take the double marker test during the first trimester of pregnancy.
In pregnancy, if a woman indicates an hCG value between 23000 – 28800 then this means that the foetus is healthy and you are low risk, which means that your baby does not have any chromosomal aberrations.
A double marker test is taken when the unborn child is said to be addressed as developing a mental illness. Generally, this test is taken to see if there is a down syndrome. This test determines if there are any irregularities in the pregnancy or any lack of chromosomal development in the baby.
Test Procedure
Double Marker Test Procedure
An ultrasound test with a blood sample is done during a double marker test. There are basically two markers namely- beta hCG i.e. human chorionic gonadotropin and PAPP-A i.e. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein.
Beta HCG is nothing but a glycoprotein hormone that is produced during pregnancy by the placenta. This indicates a higher risk for trisomy 18 and down syndrome.
PAPP -A is a low-level plasma protein that indicates a risk of down syndrome.
These readings are indicated in the terms of screen positive screen negative and high risk.
Normal Range
Normal Range of Double Marker Test
The normal range of the double marker test of HCG in a pregnancy mail is 25700 to 288000 mIU/mI, irrespective of age. 
While the normal range for PAPP -A is 1 MoM (multiples of median) for the female pregnancy irrespective of age.
Results & Reports
Results & Reports
In female pregnancy, they can receive results as low, moderate, or high risk.
For instance, if the mother seeds a low-risk or screen-negative result then it means that the baby has a low risk of having any chromosomal aberrations. But if the results are of normal range then the doctor may recommend further tests. This increases the chances of further tests if there is any family history of maternal age or specific risk factors.
You should also keep in mind that if the result is a low risk that doesn’t mean that the unborn child will be born without any chromosomal aberrations.
It is very important to understand that this test is only for indicators like down syndrome, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. No other conditions are found with this test.
How To Book
How to book a double marker test?
Just visit the tests section of PlanMyMedical.com and you will be directed on how to book a double marker test online.
You will get a list of the different clinics or hospitals that offer double marker tests along with their prices. You can select any of them according to your convenience and book the appointment according to their procedure.
2 comments
I was worried a lot during the second month of my pregnancy as I felt something unusual. I then consulted a doctor and then she recommended this double marker test. This article helped me a lot to understand it before going ahead with that. Thank you!!
I conceived 2 weeks ago and was just going through articles and found this one. Come to know about it, I’ll be aware of everything and will take the test if required.