Cleveland Clinic Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Hillcrest Hospital offers pregnant women a new program, Early Screening in Pregnancy (ESP) that helps detect chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome at an earlier point in gestation, and with greater accuracy and less invasively than ever before possible. Preliminary findings suggest that ESP also helps indicate increased risk and poor obstetrical outcomes.
ESP employs nuchal translucency (NT), a sophisticated ultrasound measurement of thickness of the skin overlying the fetal neck. Increased thickness may indicate a higher risk for chromosomal abnormalities, birth defects and other genetic conditions. Cleveland Clinic maternal-fetal medicine specialists and ultrasound technicians trained and certified in the NT measurement procedure conduct the testing and provide follow-up counseling, ensuring reliability, quality and continuity throughout the process. Along with NT measurement, the ESP includes first and possibly second trimester assessment of blood levels of certain hormonal markers. This information is combined with the patient's age to provide the patient with a personal risk assessment for Down syndrome, and a plan regarding further testing is made individually with each patient. Again, this risk assessment is non-invasive and poses no danger to the fetus and offers detection rates higher than traditional testing. The link below provides further details of the entire testing process.
Screening Process
The ESP program offered at Cleveland Clinic includes testing, results, counseling and follow-up testing (including chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis). The initial visit, which includes testing and counseling, may take up to 45 minutes. We will call you when results are available and will provide you an additional appointment if necessary within 48 to 72 hours. Tests that could be discussed and offered include:
Costs/Insurance Coverage
Because screening in the first trimester is relatively new, some insurers may not yet cover testing or counseling. We recommend that you check with your insurance provider. Please call us with any questions.
Cleveland Clinic Maternal-Fetal Medicine Locations
Ashtabula County Medical Center
2420 Lake Avenue
Ashtabula, OH 44004
440.997.6915
Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center
26900 Cedar Road, Suite 210 South
Beachwood, OH 44122
216.839.3100
Elyria Family Health and Surgery Center
303 Chestnut Commons Drive
Elyria, OH 44035
440.204.7400
Fairview Medical Center
18099 Lorain Ave., Suites 320/345
Cleveland, OH 44111
216.476.7144
Hillcrest Medical Office
6770 Mayfield Road, Suite 426
Mayfield Heights, OH 44124
440.312.2229 (BABY)
Independence Family Health Center
5001 Rockside Road, Crown Center II
Independence, OH 44131
216.986.4130
Lakewood Hospital
Community Health Center
1450 Belle Avenue, Suite 310
Lakewood, OH 44107
216.529.2202
Westlake Medical Campus
850 Columbia Road, Suite 320
Westlake, OH 44145
216.476.7144
Strongsville Family Health and Surgery Center
16761 SouthPark Center
Strongsville, OH 44136
440.878.2500
Wooster Family Health Center
1740 Cleveland Road
Wooster, OH 44691
330.287.4930