Pre-Pregnancy Package
- Anti CMV IgG
- Anti CMV IgM
- Anti Toxoplasma IgG
- Anti Toxoplasma IgM
- Anti Rubella IgG
- Anti Rubella IgM
- HBsAg
- Anti HIV
- Anti HCV
- HbA1c
- TSH
- Blood Group
A Healthy Pregnancy Begins Before Conception
Deciding to become a mother is one of life's most important steps. For an informed mother-to-be, assessing her health before pregnancy is an important step towards protecting both her own health and that of her future baby.
Health checks performed before pregnancy can help identify certain infections, gaps in immunity, and disorders of blood glucose regulation and thyroid function at an early stage. This allows the necessary precautions to be taken and pregnancy to be planned under healthier conditions.
The Wellcare Preconception Package has been designed to help assess the health of prospective mothers before pregnancy.
Which Tests Are Included in the Preconception Package?
| Tests | Why is it performed? |
|---|---|
| Anti-Rubella IgG and IgM | Assessment of immunity to rubella and, when necessary, the possibility of a recent infection |
| Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM | Investigation of immunity to and history of Toxoplasma infection |
| Anti-CMV IgG and IgM | Assessment of antibody status against cytomegalovirus infection |
| HBsAg | Investigation for hepatitis B infection |
| Anti-HIV | Screening for HIV infection |
| Anti-HCV | Screening for hepatitis C infection |
| HbA1c | Assessment of the average blood glucose level over the past 2–3 months |
| TSH | Assessment of thyroid function |
| Blood Group | Determination of ABO and Rh blood group |
Test results should be evaluated by an obstetrician and gynaecologist alongside the clinical history. Whether certain tests are necessary may vary according to individual risk factors.
Why Is a Preconception Check-up Important?
The first weeks of pregnancy are an important period during which the baby's organs begin to develop. It is therefore important to identify and appropriately manage certain health conditions before pregnancy begins.
A preconception assessment should review not only blood tests but also vaccination status, medications being taken, chronic conditions, dietary habits and family history of genetic diseases.
Women planning a pregnancy are also advised to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, starting at least one month before pregnancy, unless they have a specific risk factor. Where a higher dose is required, the dose should be determined by a doctor.
What Is the GeneScreen® Genetic Carrier Test?
Healthy individuals may be carriers of certain inherited genetic diseases without showing any symptoms.
The GeneScreen® Carrier Test is a genetic screening test that helps investigate whether prospective parents are carriers of specific inherited diseases that they could pass on to their children.
In particular, if both parents are carriers of the same autosomal recessive disease, there is a 25% chance in each pregnancy that the child will be affected by that disease.
With GeneScreen®, couples can learn more about their genetic risks before pregnancy and receive genetic counselling when necessary.
The GeneScreen® test is offered separately from the standard Preconception Package. Samples collected for the test are sent to the Eurofins Genoma laboratory in Italy.
Carrier screening does not rule out all genetic diseases; a negative result does not mean zero risk.
When Should Preconception Tests Be Performed?
It is helpful to have a medical assessment preferably a few months before planning a pregnancy. This allows sufficient time for any necessary vaccinations, treatments, folic acid supplementation and additional investigations.
The tests can be performed by providing a blood sample at the Nicosia and Kyrenia branches of Wellcare Laboratories.
Genetic carrier screening test
GeneScreen
GeneScreenCarrier Test
- 4 different panels: focus, protect, easy and complete
- Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology
- Performed at the Eurofins Genoma laboratory in Italy