BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
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Multicenter Study
Combined ultrasound and biochemical screening for Down's syndrome in the first trimester: a Scottish multicentre study.
To evaluate the use of ultrasound measurements of fetal nuchal translucency (NT) obtained in a routine antenatal clinic setting in combination with appropriate biochemical markers as a first trimester screening test for Down's Syndrome. ⋯ NT in combination with appropriate serum markers has the potential to detect over 80% of Down's Syndrome fetuses in early pregnancy. However, NT measurement is highly operator-dependent. It requires training, external quality control and adequate time to allow accurate measurement, otherwise suboptimal performance will result.