What the screening test result means

• A higher chance result does not mean that your baby definitely has Down’s syndrome.
• A result showing a higher chance can be caused by many reasons.
• A higher chance result means that you are offered an amniocentesis to assess the baby’s chromosomes.
• Depending on the type of screening test performed, between one and five out of a hundred women (1% to 5%) who have the screening test are offered an amniocentesis. (Ref 3)

Most women who have a higher chance do not have a baby with Down’s syndrome or another chromosome problem. It is estimated that a chromosome problem will be identified in 3 out of 100 amniocenteses (3%) performed (ref 4,5).