Your Baby in week 16
Your Baby in week 16:
Your baby now weighs about 3.9 ounces (110 grams)
and measures about 4.7 inches (12 cm) in length
from crown to rump. Your baby can hold his or
her head erect, and the development of facial
muscles allows for a variety of expressions,
such as squinting and frowning.
What's going on with You:
Between weeks 16 and 18 of pregnancy,
your health care provider may offer
you the maternal blood screening test,
also known as a "triple marker" test
or "triple screen," which measures the
levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a
protein produced by the fetus, and the
pregnancy hormones hCG and estriol in
the mother's blood. The test is sometimes
called a quadruple screen when the level
of an additional substance, called
inhibin-A, is also measured. The
results of these tests can tell moms
whether their babies are at risk for
(not whether they have) neural tube
defects such as spina bifida or
chromosomal abnormalities such as
Down syndrome. Out of every 1,000
women who take these tests, about
50 will have abnormal results, but
only one or two women will actually
have babies with a problem. Talk to
your health care provider about the
risks and advantages of these tests.
next week 17
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