Ladislav Krofta
Ultrasonic examination in the 1st trimester of pregnancy is a source of valuable information, which is important for optimal management of pregnancy in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. It also makes it possible to diagnose major morphological deviations and to detect a group of foetuses, in case of which the presence of a sonographic marker may indicate the possibility of association with foetal aneuploidy, a structural development defect or a genetic syndrome. The maternal serum markers of biochemical nature represent another parameter, which is independent of sonographic markers and which can be used to detect affected foetuses. A suitable combination of the possibilities of ultrasonographic screening and the advantages of detecting biochemical markers offers a probable improvement of the prenatal diagnostics detecting ability, while maintaining a low false positivity rate, and therefore offers increased reliability, while maintaining the safety of the care provided by us.