Prenatal examinations and tests
Being pregnant, becoming parents – this new life situation brings with it a wide range of emotions: joy, excitement, hope, but also doubts, questions, uncertainties, worries about the future, and concerns about the child – whether it will be healthy. Pregnant women and their partners need time to adjust to all these new experiences. In this situation, people expecting a child are offered prenatal diagnostics as part of their prenatal care, which requires them to make a number of decisions.
Prenatal diagnostics encompasses prenatal examinations and tests that screen for malformations and impairments in the unborn child. It has become an integral part of prenatal care. Prenatal diagnostics are being offered earlier and earlier, regardless of the woman's age.
It's good to know
- 97% of all children are born healthy.
- 1% have genetically determined disabilities.
- 2% acquire a disability during pregnancy or childbirth.
These examinations can detect some diseases, developmental abnormalities, and disabilities. Prenatal treatment is only possible in very few cases. When pregnant women receive a normal result, it almost always provides a sense of security, even though such a result ultimately does not guarantee that the child will be healthy.
The Federal Centre for Health Education provides independent information on testing options.
