Prenatal Diagnostic Testing
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Why choose UCSF Health for prenatal testing?
Our specialists provide expert care to people in the Bay Area who are planning a pregnancy or already expecting. These services are part of our women's health program, which is nationally recognized for its comprehensive care. Our team includes perinatologists (high-risk pregnancy experts), genetic counselors, specially trained ultrasonographers (ultrasound technicians) and reproductive genetic specialists.
Our maternal-fetal medicine geneticists work closely with genetic counselors, complex obstetric medicine providers and pediatric specialists. These experts provide attentive, comprehensive care for people with high-risk pregnancies.
Why choose UCSF Health for prenatal testing?
Our specialists provide expert care to people in the Bay Area who are planning a pregnancy or already expecting. These services are part of our women's health program, which is nationally recognized for its comprehensive care. Our team includes perinatologists (high-risk pregnancy experts), genetic counselors, specially trained ultrasonographers (ultrasound technicians) and reproductive genetic specialists.
Our maternal-fetal medicine geneticists work closely with genetic counselors, complex obstetric medicine providers and pediatric specialists. These experts provide attentive, comprehensive care for people with high-risk pregnancies.
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Comprehensive care
We offer genetic counseling, state-of-the-art prenatal screenings and diagnostic testing for fetal conditions. Our compassionate team helps you decide which is right for you.Specialized providers
Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists and reproductive geneticists are trained in obstetrics and genetics, giving them the expertise to interpret complex genetic test results.Convenient locations
UCSF Health has several prenatal testing locations throughout the Bay Area, so you can get the care you need close to home.Pioneering research
You can receive innovative therapies and help us shape the future of prenatal diagnostic testing by participating in one of our clinical trials.
Our prenatal diagnostic services
UCSF Health prenatal diagnostic specialists offer genetic screening tests and diagnostic services to people planning a pregnancy or already navigating one.
The decision to use these prenatal services is yours. We are here to provide the information you need to make an informed decision for you and your family.
You may want to consider genetic testing if you:
- Have a known or suspected genetic condition (or your partner does)
- Received previous abnormal genetic screening or test results
- Have a history of fetal complications
Services we offer include:
Preconception screening
If you're considering getting pregnant, we offer pre-pregnancy consultations to help you understand the risk of passing a genetic condition to your child. We offer several genetic carrier screenings, including the expanded carrier screening, which tests for more than 100 genetic conditions.
Our genetic counselors help you decide whether genetic testing is the right choice for you. If you choose to proceed, they review the test results with you.
Prenatal screenings
Prenatal screenings typically include ultrasounds and blood tests:
Prenatal ultrasounds
We use ultrasounds to view your baby and make sure the fetus is developing well. We check for signs of possible genetic disorders, such as problems with the heart or spine formation.
We are the only program in the Bay Area providing people with high-risk pregnancies a detailed ultrasound in the first trimester. The ultrasound, done around 13 or 14 weeks, helps us examine the fetal anatomy to detect fetal disorders early on.
Blood tests during pregnancy
You may have a blood test to screen your baby for certain conditions, such as Down syndrome, trisomy 18, trisomy 13 and neural tube defects. This California Prenatal Screening (CA PNS) is available to all pregnant individuals in California who want it.
Do prenatal screenings diagnose fetal conditions?
Prenatal screenings cannot diagnose a condition. They can tell us that a fetal condition may be present but not if your baby definitely has it. Your genetic counselor reviews screening results with you and helps you decide if you need any follow-up tests.
Prenatal diagnostic tests
After reviewing your prenatal screening results with your genetic counselor, you may decide to have a prenatal diagnostic test to confirm or rule out certain health conditions. Our experienced providers perform amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). We offer all patients advanced genetic testing with chromosomal microarray and, when indicated, next-generation sequencing tests.
These tests may confirm a genetic condition diagnosis. If you or your baby needs extra care, UCSF Health's maternal-fetal medicine specialists are here to help. We partner with world-renowned cardiologists, endocrinologists, nephrologists, pulmonologists and other experts to provide the best possible outcome for you and your baby.
Recognized excellence
60,000+
amniocentesis procedures performed
18,000+
chorionic villus sampling (CVS) procedures performed
One of the nation’s best for obstetrics & gynecology
Related conditions & treatments
Conditions
- Abnormal Genetic Test Results
- Down Syndrome
- Neural Tube Defects
- Trisomy 13
- Trisomy 18
Treatments
- Amniocentesis
- Chorionic Villus Sampling
- Chromosomal Microarray Analysis
- Preconception Counseling
- Prenatal Diagnosis
- Prenatal Genetic Counseling
- Prenatal Ultrasound Scan
Clinical trials
DECIDE: A Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Metformin Versus Insulin for the Treatment of Gest...Opens in a new window
LGA will be defined as a birthweight ≥90th%tile for gestational age based on a US birth certificate reference adjusted for parity and/or fetal sex. Neonatal hypoglycemia will be defined as a blood glucose <35 mg/dL or treatment <2...Effectiveness of Two Aspirin Doses for Prevention of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: ASPIR...Opens in a new window
HDP defined as preeclampsia or antepartum gHTN based on ACOG criteriaGenomic Sequencing in Anatomically Normal FetusesOpens in a new window
Proportion of positive genetic diagnosis among all pregnancies with anatomically normal fetusesCommercial or Open Source Closed Loop Impact on Pregnancy StudyOpens in a new window
Primary neonatal outcome. LGA defined as birth weight > 90th percentile for gestational ageAspirin Dose Escalation for the Prevention of Recurrent Preterm Delivery TrialOpens in a new window
Number and rate of participants who experience a recurrent preterm delivery or fetal death before 35 weeks, 0 days gestation.Azithromycin Prophylaxis for PRElabor CEsarean DElivery TrialOpens in a new window
A maternal infection composite defined as any one of the following: endometritis, wound infection, abdominal or pelvic abscess, septic pelvic thrombosis, sepsis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis and breast infection.Continuous Positive Airway Pressure CPAP for Sleep Apnea in PregnancyOpens in a new window
Subjects are considered to have the primary outcome if they meet the criteria for eclampsia, HELLP, atypical HELLP, preeclampsia, superimposed preeclampsia or antepartum gestational hypertension.
MAPS Program
Support services
Great Expectations Pregnancy Classes
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Women's Health Resource Center
Access free health resources here, from classes and webinars to support groups and medical referrals, plus pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding services.