This information is intended for health professionals. [View information](/maternal-serum-screening/) for a general audience.

- Combined first trimester screening = $135 (Invoice from VCGS. Once paid, patient can claim $30-40 back from Medicare).  
- Combined first trimester screening + early onset pre-eclampsia = $154 (Invoice from VCGS. Once paid, patient can claim $30-40 back from Medicare).


Maternal serum screening

Maternal serum screening (MSS)

Note this does not include the cost of the ultrasound. 
Patients will receive an invoice from VCGS and be able to claim back the benefit from Medicare. 

Pre-eclampsia is high blood pressure caused by pregnancy. It is one of the most common and life-threatening conditions occurring in pregnancy and affects around 1 in 20 pregnant women. Early-onset pre-eclampsia (EO-PE) affects 0.3% of pregnancies and is defined as delivery prior to 34 weeks of gestation. It is usually complicated by inter-uterine growth restriction and associated with poor placentation early in pregnancy. 

EO-PE is an optional addition to combined first trimester screening.

This test measures four chemicals: alpha-feto protein, unconjugated estriol, free beta hCG and dimeric inhibin A. 
These results are combined with maternal age, weight and gestation to give a result. 

This test is free for public patients in public antenatal clinics.
For non-public patients, there is a partial Medicare rebate. The out of pocket cost is approximately $80.

Maternal Serum Screening (MSS) is a blood test offered to pregnant women who want to find out if they may be at increased risk of having a baby with Down syndrome, trisomy 18 or neural tube defects (such as spina bifida). There are two serum screening options available to Victorian women during pregnancy; 
- Combined first trimester screening (CFTS) and 
- Second trimester screening (2TMSS).

Combined first trimester screening can also provide useful information for the management of a pregnancy, such as the risk of developing early-onset pre-eclampsia (EO-PE).