Antenatal screening

At your first booking appointment your community midwife will discuss and offer you a range of screening tests, the tests include blood tests and ultrasound scans of your baby.

The screening tests offered are to help identify any health problems that you may have or that could affect your baby. You will have been given a booklet to help you understand the screening tests available to you. There is detailed information on all tests available at:

• Gov.uk - screening tests for you and your baby
• NHS - screening tests in pregnancy

It's your choice

Screening is optional; choosing to have the screening tests is an important decision. It is a personal choice, you do not have to accept any of the tests offered, however, you need to understand the information and the purpose of tests available to you to make an informed choice. Some of the screening tests available can only be offered in early pregnancy and are time sensitive.

Some pregnant women may be offered further screening tests that carry more risk than others. These tests can later lead to difficult choices about your pregnancy.

Please click here to see a screening timeline.

Ultrasound scans

It is recommended in England that all women are offered a minimum of 2 ultrasound scans in their pregnancy. You will be offered an early pregnancy scan, which is usually performed at between weeks 8 and 14+1 of pregnancy.

The purpose of the scan is to assess how many weeks pregnant you are, how many babies you are having, and to check on your baby's wellbeing.

The next scan is sometimes known as the mid-pregnancy or anomaly scan. The purpose of the scan is to look for any structural abnormalities (problems) your baby may have. It is usually carried out between weeks 18 and 21 of pregnancy.

Blood tests

• Infectious diseases- HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis
• Screening for inherited conditions Sickle cell and thalassemia

Diabetic eye retinal screening

If you are pregnant and have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it's important to monitor the health of your eyes and look out for signs of diabetic retinopathy or other eye problems.

Some women develop gestational diabetes in later pregnancy (28 weeks or more). Gestational diabetes can be treated through changes in diet and usually goes away once the baby is born. You will not be offered diabetic eye screening if you develop gestational diabetes. You will not need diabetic eye screening if you did not have diabetes before pregnancy.

Click here for more information on eye screening.

Other tests

• Newborn screening
• Downs, Edwards and Patau's Syndrome
• Rash awareness