Prenatal Panel

Why this test may be ordered

• To find health problems early in pregnancy so that many conditions can be treated to avoid complications.
• To guide treatments for your baby immediately after birth if needed.

Preparation and collection

You don't need any special preparations for a prenatal panel.

A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. This usually takes less than five minutes.

There is no risk to your developing baby and very little risk to you. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

Understanding results

If your results were not normal, you and/or your baby might get treatment to prevent serious health conditions.

• Rh incompatibility: If you are Rh-negative and your developing baby is Rh-positive, it's called Rh incompatibility. It may cause your body to make antibodies against your baby's blood, which can damage your baby's red blood cells. Limitation: If your results were not normal, you and/or your baby might get treatment to prevent serious health conditions. Next step: You will receive medicine that prevents your body from making the antibodies that may damage your baby's red blood cells.
• Infection found (hepatitis, STIs, HIV): If you're pregnant, the hepatitis virus can be passed to your baby. Limitation: If your results were not normal, you and/or your baby might get treatment to prevent serious health conditions. Next step: You will receive medicine to treat the infection. If you have a hepatitis B infection, your baby will get a vaccine within a few hours of birth.
• No immunity to rubella: If you are not immune and you get the infection during pregnancy, it could put your baby at risk for congenital anomalies (health conditions that can develop before birth). Limitation: You would be immune if you have been vaccinated against rubella or infected with it in the past. Next step: You'll need to avoid anyone who has rubella while you are pregnant. After your baby is born, you should get vaccinated.

• No test is 100% accurate. False-positive or false-negative results are possible.
• The prenatal panel does not screen for all possible pregnancy complications.

What to do next

The results of the tests can guide treatments, which may help prevent serious complications. If you have questions about your results, talk to your provider.

• What do my specific results mean for me and my baby?
• Do I need any follow-up tests or treatments?
• How will these results affect my prenatal care plan?

Evidence source

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.

U.S. National Library of Medicine: Prenatal Panel

More lab tests A–Z

• Prealbumin Blood Test
• Pregnancy Test
• Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Screening
• Procalcitonin Test
• Progesterone Test
• Prolactin Levels