health

Diagnosis of Edwards syndrome is usually made on the basis of the
child’s appearance at birth. It can be diagnosed before birth on the basis
of ultrasound studies during the first three months of pregnancy; a
sample of the mother’s blood plasma; or by genetic analysis of cells taken
from the baby’s blood or the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby
inside the womb.
In some cases the diagnosis is suspected before birth on the basis of
certain characteristics of the pregnancy. These include a smaller than
average placenta (the organ that attaches the baby to the wall of the
mother’s uterus), a low level of fetal activity, irregular heartbeat, and
slowed fetal growth.