Maternal Screening is available to all women in the state through the Iowa Maternal Prenatal Screening Program.

The Maternal Screening section supports the Iowa Maternal Prenatal Screening Program, offering several screenings that provide patients and health care providers with information about pregnancy and the developing fetus.

Screenings are available to all Iowa women during pregnancy and are designed to identify women with an increased risk of having a baby with Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Edward syndrome (trisomy 18) or an open neural tube defect (e.g. anencephaly or spina bifida). They may also identify women at increased risk of having a baby with other kinds of birth deficiencies, or women at risk of developing a problem later in pregnancy. If an abnormality is identified, the woman’s medical provider is notified and may choose to perform additional testing. Genetic counselling is also made available for parents to help them make informed decisions about the pregnancy.