Prenatal testing is one of the most confusing parts of pregnancy, partly because "the test came back positive" can mean very different things depending on which test it was. This hub gathers everything we publish on screening and diagnosis: how non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) works and why its positive predictive value varies so much by condition, what expanded carrier screening detects, what the 20-week anatomy scan can and cannot see, and how amniocentesis and CVS differ in timing and risk. The thread running through all of it is the difference between a probability and an answer — and why a screening result is the start of a conversation, not the end of one.
A positive NIPT is a probability, not a diagnosis. Here is what positive predictive value actually means for Down syndrome, trisomy 13, and sex chromosome results — and why confirmatory testing matters before any decision.
A clear, OB-reviewed guide to how cell-free DNA screening works, which chromosomal conditions it covers, when to do it, how accurate it is, and what a result—positive or not—actually means for your pregnancy.
Group B Strep colonizes up to 30% of pregnant women without causing symptoms — but it can be life-threatening for a newborn. Here is exactly what the 36-week swab involves, what a positive result means for your labor, and how intrapartum antibiotics protect your baby.
Nuchal translucency plus bloodwork or a cell-free DNA blood draw — a board-certified OB-GYN breaks down the accuracy numbers, timing differences, insurance realities, and the one rule ACOG is firm about: pick one, not both.
A calm, step-by-step walkthrough of what happens at your 8–10 week prenatal visit — the standard ACOG lab panel, how the dating ultrasound works, and what it all costs with and without insurance.
A system-by-system guide to the Level II ultrasound — what the sonographer checks, what the scan can and cannot detect, and how to navigate self-pay costs ranging from $75 to $1,200.
A side-by-side guide to the two diagnostic prenatal tests that provide definitive chromosomal answers — who needs them, how they differ, and what the real miscarriage numbers say.