Whether pregnancy examination requires fasting depends on the specific items. During the early pregnancy, when establishing the perinatal manual, it is necessary to check liver function, blood sugar and other items, so fasting is required. However, fasting is not required for the first ultrasound examination. During the second trimester, serological screenings such as Down's syndrome screening and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) do not require fasting, and a light diet is sufficient. Additionally, fetal systematic ultrasound examination during the second trimester does not require fasting, but gestational diabetes mellitus screening does. During the third trimester, the second systematic ultrasound examination for anomaly detection does not require fasting. Similarly, fetal heart rate monitoring during the third trimester does not require fasting. Overall, most pregnancy examinations do not require fasting, with only a few blood tests requiring it.

Testing for Pregnancy

There are various methods for testing pregnancy, commonly used clinically including pregnancy test strips, blood tests, and ultrasound. If there is a history of sexual activity without contraception and the menstrual cycle is delayed by 5-7 days, a pregnancy test strip can be used, preferably with morning urine for better accuracy. If two red lines appear on the test strip, it can be diagnosed as pregnancy. Alternatively, a blood test for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can be performed at the hospital around 10 days after intercourse. If the hCG level is above 25U/L, it can be diagnosed as pregnancy. Or, when the menstrual cycle is delayed by around 10 days, an ultrasound can be performed at the hospital. If there is a gestational sac and primitive heart tube activity in the uterine cavity, it can be diagnosed as pregnancy.

The Necessity of Prenatal Examinations

Prenatal examinations are necessary. They can detect whether the pregnant woman is suitable for pregnancy, whether there are any complications during pregnancy, and monitor the growth and development of the fetus, as well as the presence of any abnormalities. During the early pregnancy, prenatal examinations can determine whether the fetus is intrauterine, assess the physical condition of the pregnant woman to determine if she is suitable for pregnancy, detect the presence of any related complications, and screen for gestational infectious diseases and the risk of neonatal hemolysis due to blood type incompatibility. During the second trimester, prenatal examinations mainly assess the risk of Down's syndrome in the fetus, screen for structural abnormalities, check the normal development of the heart, and evaluate the physical condition of the pregnant woman. During the third trimester, prenatal examinations can diagnose any related complications in the pregnant woman and determine if the fetus is hypoxic.