Antenatal screening

Antenatal and newborn screening information

The information below outlines the screening options for you and your baby. 

There is a booklet about antenatal and newborn screening in your booking information pack called Screening tests for you and your baby.

The booklet which is available in a range of languages and in easy read can also be accessed by the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/screening-tests-for-you-and-your-baby-description-in-brief

This NHS video describes the screening tests:

This video is available for viewing in alternative languages.

Royal Stoke Unive​rsity Hospital​

The Antenatal Clinic is an outpatient clinic, situated on the Ground Floor of the Maternity Centre. It is where we provide antenatal care for pregnant people who are under the care of one of our consultants rather than those who intend to give birth at home or in our Midwife Birth Centre. We also have outpatient appointments such as pre-operative checks and Midwife scan reviews. 

General Info​rmation

The Antenatal Clinic is open Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm. Vending machines are available at the main entrance to the maternity centre selling drinks and snacks. There is a drinking water dispenser and also a public telephone and a free taxi phone within the unit.

If your midwife has recommended that you are referred to the hospital for an antenatal appointment it is generally due to something in either your or your family’s history that requires more monitoring than can be provided in the community. When attending the antenatal clinic at the hospital you will have a urine test, blood pressure check and an abdominal examination if appropriate. 

Further tests such as blood tests and ultrasound scans may also be offered. The reason for these tests should be explained to you so you can understand your care. Unlike visits done in the community, during this appointment you will be seen and examined by one of the consultant obstetric team who will become responsible for planning further care. 

Follow-up antenatal visits

Follow-up visits will be offered depending on your care pathway. These may be with the community midwife or at the hospital with an obstetrician or a combination of both. Usually follow-up visits do not take as long as the initial visit but the same routine examination will be conducted, which includes blood pressure and an abdominal examination where appropriate. Your urine will also be tested and depending on the stage of your pregnancy, your baby's heart rate listened to. 

These examinations give an indication of your baby's growth, development and wellbeing. After about 28 weeks of your pregnancy you will be able to detect a clear pattern of movements. If you feel this pattern has changed you should contact the hospital on the 24-hour helpline (01782 672300) given to you by your community midwife and available on your electric maternity record.​

Ultrasound scans

You will usually have two scans; one between 11 – 13 weeks of pregnancy and a detailed scan at approximately 20 weeks. They will be carried out in the hospital's scan department at Royal Stoke and County Hospital, at Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre or Bradwell Hospital. Your community midwife will book the most appropriate venue for you. Other venues may be available in the near future. You will be able to purchase a photograph of the scan. If your care pathway requires further scans these will be arranged by either your community midwife or during your antenatal clinic appointment.

Contact Numbers

• Antenatal Clinic Reception: 01782 672111
• Antenatal Clinic Appointments: 01782 672113
• Antenatal Clinic Manager: 01782 672180​

Our staff and ​​​​clinics

We combine a number of specific medical disorders with obstetric clinics so pregnant people should always have the opportunity to be cared for by the specialist consultant. We have a number of consultant obstetricians who each run clinics and have specialist areas of expertise such as diabetes, epilepsy or renal conditions. 

Many of our midwives also have individual areas of expertise. We have an antenatal screening specialist midwife, a perineal specialist midwife, a perinatal mental health midwife, and support continuity of carer teams for vulnerable patients, diabetic patients and multiple pregnancies patients.

A pre-operative assessment clinic is held 3 times a week for pregnant people who plan to have a caesarean section. This clinic is led by midwife support workers.

In antenatal clinic we also have midwife led clinics for pregnant peole who live outside the immediate area, Anti-D clinics for  pregnant people who are Rhesus negative and midwife led clinics for pregnant people with raised BMI and those who have had one previous caesarean section. .

The Perineal Car​e Clinic

The dedicated Perineal Care Clinic was set up at University Hospital in March 2003. The main aim of the clinic is to provide care for patients who suffer from perineal problems including bowel, bladder or sexual dysfunction following childbirth. We also see pregnant people during the early antenatal period who have experienced complex perineal trauma or anal sphincter injuries during previous births, in order to advise regarding the best mode of delivery.

Pregnant people can be referred directly to the clinic via their midwives, general practitioners, health visitors, physiotherapists, practice nurses, and consultants. The Perineal Care Team works closely with other disciplines, including obstetric physiotherapists, colorectal surgeons, urogynaecologists and continence advisors. The multi-disciplinary team meets monthly to discuss and plan appropriate care for women with complex problems.

Where needed, we refer pregnant people for further investigations, such as an endo-anal scan or anorectal physiology tests. The Perineal Care Clinic provides exceptional care in a friendly environment and the way it works has been copied by many other units. We are leading in research relating to perineal care and also run local, national and international courses relating to the management of perineal trauma.

The Perinatal Mental Health clinic

This is a specialised multidisciplinary service working with the parent and baby day unit. This a midwife-led specialised perinatal mental health clinic that runs alongside a consultant led antenatal clinic. The main aim of this service to provide guidance, advice and support for women in relation to any current or past mental health issues throughout their pregnancy.

Fetal M​​edicine

Fetal medicine offers patients detailed assessment and screening of their fetus with ultrasound when a problem is suspected. We also offer procedures including amniocentesis. The service is run by a multidisciplinary team including midwives, support workers, radiographers, secretaries, paediatric and neonatal specialists.

Obstetric/neurology clinic

This is a monthly specialised multidisciplinary clinic that has strong links with the hospital's neurology department. Care pathways for this clinic are in line with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) and the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH) recommendations for the management of epilepsy in pregnancy. The role of the clinic has also been extended to care for women with other neurological problems.

Protecting your baby from Hepatitis B leaflet:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/736029/Protecting_your_baby_against_hepatitis_B_leaflet.pdf

Saving Screening tests for you and your baby link to a smartphone home screen

This enables you to click on the icon to go straight to the screening information, just like an app. All phones:

1. Open the web browser.
2. Go to the phone-friendly (HTML) version of Screening tests for you and your baby by:

• going to http://www.gov.uk/phe/pregnancy-newborn-screening

Then find the add to home screen or save to home screen option. Where this is depends on what phone you have and how old it is. If you need help, search online for what to do for your specific phone.

Screening Tests

During your pregnancy, you’ll be offered a range of tests, including blood tests and ultrasound baby scans. These tests will check and assess the development and wellbeing of you and your baby, and screen for a variety of conditions.

We can offer you screening for:

• Iron deficiency anaemia
• Hepatitis B
• Syphilis
• HIV
• Sickle cell and thalassemia

We can offer you screening for:

• Down’s syndrome, Edward’s Syndrome and Patau’s Syndrome referred to as Trisomy screening
• Structural abnormalities in your baby

All the tests we offer are optional, it is always your choice whether to have the screening or not.

Some of these tests are best taken before 10 weeks of pregnancy. Therefore we ask that you contact the community midwives office on our central booking telephone number: 01782 672181 as soon as you know you are pregnant so that we can arrange your care to be ‘booked’ as soon as possible in order to discuss all your options with you.

The following links provide further information on your screening options:

Screening for infectious diseases (hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/screening-blood-test-infectious-diseases-pregnant/

Screening for inherited conditions (sickle cell, thalassemia and other haemoglobin disorders) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/screening-sickle-cell-thalassaemia-pregnant/

Screening for Down’s Syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/screening-amniocentesis-downs-syndrome/

Screening for 11 physical conditions (20-week scan) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/20-week-scan/

Some screening tests will also be offered to your baby after they're born:

newborn physical examination  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/newborn-physical-exam/

Newborn hearing screening  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/newborn-hearing-test/

Newborn blood spot screening https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/newborn-blood-spot-test/

Private Screening

A private screening test is available at the University Hospitals of North Midlands called Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT).

NIPT is a screening test for Down's, Edwards' or Patau's Syndromes

NIPT involves a blood test from you and can be performed from 10 weeks of pregnancy. Results usually take 7 to 10 days to come back from the laboratory.

Remember NIPT does not give a yes/no answer; it tells you how likely. If this is something you would like to discuss further then please contact our screening office on: 01782 672581 for further details including cost.