The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan > Health Services > Diagnostic Services > Non-Surgical Diagnostic Procedures > Women's Health Care

​Women’s Health Care

Amniocentesis/Amniotic Fluid Test includes the extraction of amniotic fluid from the uterus to examine for any birth defects, neural tube defects and also help determine the gender of the baby. ​

Anomaly Scan is an ultrasound that assesses the development of the foetus and helps identify the location of the placenta in the uterus. 

The scan is usually conducted at 20 weeks of pregnancy. However, if you are pregnant with twins, you may have your scan a week or two later, owing to the difficulty of scanning multiple babies. If you are having triplets, the scan maybe scheduled for between 18 to 21 weeks of pregnancy.​

The Cervical Length Scan measures the length of the cervix amongst women to assess the possibilities of a pre-term birth or miscarriage. Medically, during pregnancy the cervical length shortens. However, if it measures less than 2.5 centimetres, then your doctor may recommend a treatment to prevent the associated risks. 

This test is usually combined with an anomaly scan.​

Cervical Scan is an internal ultrasound where the ultrasound wand is inserted a few inches inside the vagina to help examine the female reproductive organs.​
Chorionic Villus Sampling includes retrieval of placental cells either through the vagina and cervix, or via a needle through the abdomen. These cells are then examined to assess the genetic structure to identify any chromosomal abnormalities.​
A colposcopy is usually recommended if your Pap smear tests indicate abnormalities. It is used to examine the cervix, vagina and vulva for any diseases.​
Doppler ultrasound during pregnancy measures the flow of blood across the foetus’s body including the brain, heart and the umbilical cord.​
First Trimester Scan is a screening test helps in the early detection of chromosomal abnormalities, including <Down’s syndrome>. It is a combination of the blood screening of the mother and the ultrasound of the foetus. It is performed between the eleventh and thirteenth week of pregnancy. ​
Functional Echo Cardiograph is a cardiac ultrasound used in the continuous monitoring of infants with a hemodynamic condition. It helps in tracking changes in the cardiac function; pulmonary and systematic blood flow and organ perfusion. ​

Growth Scan is an ultrasound that monitors the growth of the foetus or helps in identifying any medical problem that may occur during the course of pregnancy. 

If you are pregnant with twins, you may have the growth scan every two weeks from the sixteenth week of pregnancy if the twins are sharing a placenta, or every four weeks from the twentieth week of pregnancy if the twins have their own placentas. 

If you are having triplets, you will be asked for a scan more often usually beginning at 16 weeks of pregnancy, and then every two or four weeks (depending on whether the babies are sharing a placenta or not). ​

Nuchal Translucency scan is an ultrasound that measures the fluid collection under the skin behind the foetus’s neck. Nuchal Translucency Scan is used to test for <Down’s syndrome>; babies with an increased collection of fluid are more likely to have <Down’s syndrome>. 

If you are pregnant with twins or triplets, the NT scan will be combined with a blood test to measures the levels of the hormones, hCG and PAPP-A, which are markers of Down’s syndrome​.

A Pap smear includes sampling of the cells of the cervix to screen for cervical cancer.​

The ultrasound helps in the evaluation of the blood flow in the uterine arteries (arteries providing blood to the uterus) to assess the probability of preeclampsia (high blood pressure) and foetal growth restriction during the course of pregnancy. 

This test is usually combined with an anomaly scan.​