Prenatal Screening and Ultrasound

Prenatal Screening

Prenatal Screening Ontario currently oversees two types of publicly funded prenatal screening tests: chromosome screening and fetal blood type screening. These tests provide different types of information that can help guide care during pregnancy.

• Prenatal Screening Ontario - Types of screening

Ultrasound

You can consider having ultrasounds in pregnancy even if you do not wish to have chromosome screening. These ultrasounds will give you valuable information such as: how far along your pregnancy is, how many babies you are carrying, and whether there are concerns with the baby's growth and anatomy.

Having an ultrasound involves lying down and having a doctor or ultrasound technologist examine your uterus (either through your abdomen or vagina) using a hand-held probe covered in transmission gel. The ultrasound probe (also called a transducer) creates an image of your uterus and the baby, by picking up sound waves that travel through your skin, that the ultrasound operator can see on a computer screen.

• Prenatal Screening Ontario - Nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound

• Prenatal Screening Ontario - 18-22 week Detailed anatomy ultrasound