A nurse is explaining the purpose of a Doppler ultrasound blood flow analysis to a client who has intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

The nurse should inform the client that this test measures which of the following?

This test can detect genetic disorders.

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a prenatal test that involves taking a sample of tissue from the placenta to test for chromosomal abnormalities and certain other genetic problems.

The placenta is a structure in the uterus that provides blood and nutrients from the mother to the fetus.

Choice A is wrong because CVS does not provide information on neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

For this reason, women who undergo CVS also need a follow-up blood test between 16 to 18 weeks of their pregnancy to screen for neural tube defects.

Choice C is wrong because CVS can detect chromosomal abnormalities, but not all chromosomal abnormalities are genetic disorders.

For example, Down syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that occurs randomly and is not inherited from the parents.

Choice D is wrong because CVS cannot detect Rh sensitization, which is a condition where the mother’s immune system produces antibodies against the fetus’s blood cells.

Rh sensitization can be detected by a blood test that measures the level of antibodies in the mother’s blood.

The level of AFP in a pregnant woman’s blood depends on how far along she is in her pregnancy.

AFP levels are normally high in the early weeks of pregnancy and then decline as the pregnancy progresses.

If the AFP level is too high or too low for the gestational age, it may indicate a problem with the baby’s development.

Choice A is wrong because maternal weight does not affect AFP levels.

Choice B is wrong because fetal heart rate does not affect AFP levels.

Choice D is wrong because the placental function does not affect AFP levels directly, but it may affect the levels of other hormones that are measured along with AFP in a quad screen.