Tests and procedures to help ensure that a pregnancy produces a healthy baby while maintaining the mother’s health. Routine maternal blood tests are used to check blood type, Rh factor, and immunity to hepatitis B and German measles (rubella) and to rule out the presence of anemia and syphilis. Testing for HIV is recommended for women who are at high risk. Urine tests are given regularly to detect diabetes and the protein albumin, which, if elevated, can be a sign of preeclampsia (a Condition of pregnancy in which blood pressure is raised).
Screening for a disease, such as a genetic disorder, in a developing fetus.