Prenatal screening is voluntary. This page helps you prepare and does not make the decision for you.
What to expect at check-ups
Your maternity care professional discusses how you are and checks matters relevant to the stage of pregnancy and your personal risk. These may include blood pressure, growth, position and your baby’s heartbeat. The content and frequency may change if there is a reason.
A dating scan, blood test or other diagnostic test may form part of your care. Always ask about the purpose of a test, what a normal or abnormal result means and whether you need to do anything yourself. Not every test is prenatal screening.
NIPT, the 13-week ultrasound scan and the 20-week ultrasound scan
NIPT uses the pregnant person’s blood to look for signs of certain chromosomal conditions. The 13-week and 20-week ultrasound scans look for physical abnormalities. The tests do not replace one another, and none guarantees a healthy child.
Under the national screening programme, NIPT is available from ten weeks. The 13-week ultrasound scan is available from 12 weeks and 3 days up to and including 14 weeks and 3 days, and is offered only as part of the IMITAS study. The 20-week ultrasound scan is available from 18 weeks and 0 days up to and including 21 weeks and 0 days. Let your own healthcare professional plan the timing for your due date.
A voluntary, informed choice
You decide whether you want one, several or none of the screening tests. You can also stop a screening process. You receive information beforehand about possible results, follow-up tests and the choices that may follow. Take time to consider how much you want to know before the birth.
A sign found during screening is not yet a diagnosis. Follow-up testing can provide more clarity but may also have disadvantages or bring uncertainty. Ask who will support you after an abnormal result and where you can find decision support or a consultation at a Centre for Prenatal Diagnostics.
Prepare for the conversation
Write down questions about the purpose, reliability, possible incidental findings, data use and follow-up testing. Also discuss what a result could mean for you and your family in practical and emotional terms. No one choice is right for everyone.
For current time frames and conditions, use the national PNS website and information from your own maternity care professional. The rules and programme delivery may change. This guide therefore has a review date, and the information is reassessed every quarter.
Sources for this guide
This guide provides general information. Your healthcare professional or the competent authority can explain what applies in your situation.
- PNS: differences between NIPT, the 13-week scan and the 20-week scanAccessed on 2026-09-07
- PNS: the 13-week ultrasound scanAccessed on 2026-09-07
- PNS: the 20-week ultrasound scanAccessed on 2026-09-07
- PNS: frequently asked questions about the 13-week ultrasound scanAccessed on 2026-09-07
- PNS: frequently asked questions about the 20-week ultrasound scanAccessed on 2026-09-07