Antenatal screening blood tests

With your permission, bloods are taken to check your blood group and screen for a variety of conditions including:

• Sickle cell and thalassaemia disease 
• Infectious diseases (Hepatitis B, Syphilis, HIV)
• Down's, Edwards' and Patau's syndrome 

We also offer other blood tests throughout pregnancy to test for anaemia, diabetes and other blood profiling, but these are not part of the national screening programme. 

Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassaemia major are serious, inherited blood diseases. They affect haemoglobin, a part of the blood that carries oxygen around the body. People who have these conditions will need specialist care throughout their lives.

Screening in pregnancy for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia involves having a blood test. These conditions are more common in different parts of the world, so it is essential that you inform your Midwife which country you and your baby’s father’s and your families originate from.

The screening result (blood test) may indicate you are a carrier of an unusual haemoglobin such as sickle cell or thalassemia. If this is the case the screening team will contact you directly. It will sometimes be necessary to offer the father of your baby a blood test to identify if your baby has a change of inheriting a serious condition. For further information about sickle cell and thalassaemia screening for fathers, click here.

Infectious disease screening

A blood test to screen for Hepatitis B, HIV and Syphilis is recommended in pregnancy to protect your health with early treatment and care from specialist teams. Early detection can greatly reduce any chance of passing an infection onto your baby, partner or other family members. For further information about infectious disease screening, click here.