Chorionic Villus Sampling Alpha-Fetoprotein regnancy is incredibly exciting, but it's also a bit scary. As the reality of having a baby sets in, it's hard not to worry about whether your baby will be healthy. In the old days, doctors simply told women not to think about it.
Modern women think a lot about such things.
Today's expectant mothers are much better informed than were their own mothers, and have heard about many of the more than 3,000 congenital disorders parents can pass along to their babies. Fortunately, there are now several prenatal tests that can help reassure the majority of expectant parents that their babies are just fine. And when there is a possible problem, these tests give the couple time to go through counseling and make an informed decision about continuing the pregnancy. In addition to all the high-technology techniques generally available to pregnant women in the 1990s, there are many routine prenatal procedures that have been keeping babies safe for decades. During your first prenatal appointment your doctor will determine your blood type and test for anemia, exposure to such sexually transmitted diseases as syphilis and AIDS, and perhaps for signs of drug abuse.