What is an NT scan and how does it help?
Pregnancy is a difficult phase replete with a lot of uncertainties, both for the mother and the fetus. But increased nuchal translucency thickness between 11-14 weeks of pregnancy has become synonymous with ‘morphological expression’ of fetal chromosomal anomalies and genetic syndromes. Further, it also serves as an indication of cardiovascular abnormalities. The nuchal scan or nuchal translucency ( NT) scan is a non-invasive sonographic prenatal scan ( ultrasound) that attempts to detect the risk of chromosomal abnormalities like Down’s Syndrome and other major visceral problems of the heart. The NT scan is carried out between 11-13+6 weeks of gestation since the baby’s neck ceases to be transparent after that due to shifting of fluid out of that area. This screening test checks the amount of fluid or the clear space of tissue at the back of the fetal neck. Babies affected with anomalies typically display the larger quantity of collected fluid in the ...