Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Prenatal Testing
Prenatal testing provides information about the health of your fetus before the baby is born. Some routine tests during pregnancy also check your health. The prenatal test may use a sample of your blood, urine or fluid from your vagina, cervix, or rectum.
Since some health conditions can be treated before your baby is born, it's important to find them early. But even if they cannot be treated, it can still be helpful to know about the problem early on. This gives you time to learn about the condition and prepare for any challenges you may face after the baby is born.
At your first prenatal visit, your health care provider will test for various conditions, including problems with your blood, signs of infections, and whether you are immune to rubella (German measles) and chickenpox.
Throughout your pregnancy, your provider may recommend additional tests as well. Some tests are suggested for all women, such as screenings for gestational diabetes, Down syndrome, and HIV.
Your provider might offer other tests based on your:
- Age
- Personal or family medical history
- Ethnic background
- Results of routine tests
There are two types of tests:
- Screening tests check if you or your fetus may have certain health issues. They look at risk but do not diagnose problems. If your screening test result is abnormal, it does not mean that there is a problem. It means that more information is needed. Your provider can explain what the test results mean and possible next steps. You may need diagnostic testing.
- Diagnostic tests help determine whether you or your fetus have a certain health problem.
It is your choice whether to get prenatal tests. You and your provider can talk about the risks and benefits of the tests, as well as the type of information they can give you. Then you can decide which ones are right for you.
National Women's Health Information Center
It sits within Pregnancy and Reproduction, Genetics/Birth Defects, Diagnostic Tests and Female Reproductive System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Prenatal Testing
195 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Supporting Just-In-Time Consent for Prenatal Screening: The INFORM StudyCase Western Reserve University
- GRACE - Genetic Insights Into Early pRegnancy Loss Using Cell-free fEtal DNARennes University Hospital
- Prospective Evaluation of an AI Diagnostic Ultrasound Tool for Fetal Weight EstimationUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- The Feasibility of Implementing Syphilis Point-of-care Testing Into a Prenatal Clinic for People Facing Barriers to CareMcMaster University
- Feasibility Trial of the Womb Watch Smartphone App To Assess Fetal MovementsKenneth Moise MD
- Treatment for Antepartum Posttraumatic Stress Disorder/PTSD StudyBoston University
Research already completed
- Clinical Study of STI Screening to Prevent Adverse Birth and New-born Outcomes (Philani Ndiphile)Foundation for Professional Development (Pty) Ltd
- A Couple-Based Bonding Program During Pregnancy: Testing the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Kit (MaKit) to Strengthen Emotional Connection Between Expectant Mothers and Their Unborn Babies in Antenatal CareUniversitas Aisyiyah Yogyakarta
- Impact of White Noise and Stress Balls on Anxiety, Fetal Well-Being, and Surgical Fear in Elective CesareansAgri Ibrahim Cecen University
- Use of In-Home Non-Stress Monitoring Device for Fetal Monitoring: A Nonsignificant Risk (NSR) Device StudyNestmedic Spolka Akcyjna
- Ney Music During Non-Stress Test and Maternal AnxietyHediye Karakoç
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Prenatal Genetic Screening TestsAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Prenatal PanelNational Library of Medicine
- Prenatal Tests: FAQsNemours Foundation
- What Tests Might I Need during Pregnancy?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: AmniocentesisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Chorionic Villi SamplingNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Prenatal UltrasoundNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Prenatal Diagnosis. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Prenatal Testing, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.