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Prenatal Testing

A Dad's Eye View

By Dr. Aneema Van Groenou

The glucose tolerance test is one of the very important tests all women should have during pregnancy because gestational diabetes is treatable, and the untreated illness can seriously affect the fetus. Uncontrolled diabetes during pregnancy not only leads to large babies with a higher risk of Cesarean section, it can cause birth defects.

The Group B Strep (GBS) culture checks for the presence of a bacteria, called streptococcus, in the vagina. Many healthy women – about 30 percent – have this normal bacteria in the vagina, but it can cause life-threatening infections in the newborn. The GBS "infection" causes no problems before pregnancy, and it is not sexually transmitted.

However, during labor and after delivery, the presence of GBS in the vaginal tract can lead to dangerous infections in the mother as well, such as infection of the placenta, called chorioamnionitis, which affects the fetus, and postpartum infection of the uterus.

Testing for GBS simply involves checking a vaginal swab of the vagina. This test is often done at the same time swabs are taken to check for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomonas. These infections can be very dangerous for the newborn, as they can affect the fetus during a vaginal delivery.

Vaginal swabs are also used to test for bacterial vaginosis and yeast infection, which are non-sexually transmitted infections of the vagina that can also cause premature labor and can potentialy infect the newborn during delivery.

The vaginal exam also allows the physician to examine the mother's genital area for signs of other potentially harmful infections, such as herpes or genital warts, both of which can be transmitted to the fetus.

Want to see more?

• Picture Day! A Guide to Ultrasounds
• Prenatal Screening: The Pros and Cons of Enhanced AFP
• Coping With Morning Sickness: How to Help Your Partner
• Putting Yourself in Her Shoes: Sympathy-Building Exercises for the Dad-to-be
• What Not to Do in the Delivery Room
• Talk about it!

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