A double marker test (also called a dual marker test) is a pregnancy test done during the first trimester to detect any chromosomal abnormality in the fetus.
Book this really important test at highly rated labs like SRL and Apollo or at your local top quality labs through us at up to 60% discount. The lowest dual marker test price is ₹800 only.
Double Marker Test Through LabsAdvisor
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Book your Double Marker test online to avail the exclusive offers and cashback!
Here are the simple steps to book your appointment at a discounted price.
- Click on the link given in the below table according to your preferred city.
- Choose the most suitable lab for your Double Marker test.
- Select your preferred date and time for your appointment.
- Enter the patient details and click submit.
- Congratulations! You have booked an appointment at a discounted price.
Book online yourself at any time of the day or night by clicking on the appropriate link in the table below.
Double Marker Test Cost in India and Lab Details
We offer the double marker test in over 20 Indian cities. Click on the link of your city below to choose a lab and make an online booking for home collection at a suitable time.
| Center | MRP (In Rs) | MFine Price (In Rs) |
| Tapadia Diagnostics Center, RTC Cross Road | 800 | 800 |
| Ovale Diagnostic, Hasanpura | 2000 | 1100 |
| Ovale Diagnostic, New Sanganer Road | 2000 | 1100 |
| Ovale Diagnostic, Mahesh Nagar | 2000 | 1100 |
| SGD Diagnostic Centre, Jhansi Road | 1800 | 1200 |
| Total Diagnostics, Kirti Nagar | 1800 | 1231 |
| Total Diagnostics, Tilak Nagar | 1800 | 1231 |
| Aarthi Diagnostics, Dilsukhnagar | 1600 | 1280 |
| Aarthi Diagnostics, Secunderabad | 1600 | 1280 |
| Aarthi Diagnostics, Kukatpally | 1600 | 1280 |
| Aarthi Diagnostics, Punjagutta | 1600 | 1280 |
| Ayushmaan Diagnostics | 1560 | 1300 |
| Vitaplus Healthcare Pvt Ltd | 1560 | 1300 |
| Madambakkam Collection Centre | 1560 | 1300 |
| A P Diagnostics | 1560 | 1300 |
| Anna Nagar Collection Centre | 1560 | 1300 |
| Hale & Healthy Hospital, Thiruvanmiyur | 1560 | 1300 |
| Cosmos Diagnostics | 1560 | 1300 |
| Cosmos Healthcare – Ghaziabad | 1560 | 1300 |
| Primax Path Labs | 1560 | 1300 |
For more details regarding your booking, you can contact our customer care executives from 9am to 8pm.
What is a Double Marker Test?
The Double Marker test is one of the prenatal screening tests done in the first trimester of the pregnancy. It is done to assess the chances of your fetus having a chromosomal abnormality.
It helps you detect if your child to be born, will have birth defects like Down’s Syndrome or trisomy 18 which are basically chromosomal disorders. These disorders can lead to serious mental defects in a child and sometimes may result in stillbirth.
Why Double Marker Test?
A double marker test is significant as it helps you be assured that a healthy baby is growing inside. A double Marker test is done to evaluate the risk of your baby having Down’s syndrome or trisomy 18.
Down’s Syndrome: Down’s syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21. Normally fetal DNA will have 23 pairs of chromosomes, 23 from the mother and the other 23 from the father. But sometimes instead of 46 chromosomes, the DNA carries an extra copy of a chromosome or has a missing or structurally altered chromosome leading to genetic disorders.
Down’s syndrome is caused when the fetal DNA contains an extra copy of chromosome 21. People with Down’s syndrome have the following characteristics:
- Abnormal facial features, slant eyes, and small ears.
- Delayed development and intellectual impairment.
- Hearing and vision problem
- Seizures
- Increase the risk of pulmonary hypertension and Heart disease.
- Low muscle tone
- Thyroid problems
The likelihood of a baby born with Down’s syndrome increase with the mother’s age. The higher the age of the mother, the higher is the chances of her baby having Down’s syndrome. So expectant mothers of age more than 35 should definitely opt for a double marker test.
Trisomy 18: Trisomy 18 is also known as Edwards syndrome. An extra copy of chromosome 18 in fetal DNA causes this serious disorder. Most of the babies born with Edwards syndrome die in their infancy.
Around one in twelve babies live beyond one year but with severe mental disabilities. There is no cure for Edwards syndrome and symptoms are difficult to manage. Children with Edwards syndrome have to be regularly monitored for infections and heart problems.
Like Down’s syndrome, the chances of a baby to be born with Edwards syndrome increases with the mother’s age. So older mothers should go for Double marker screening to identify the risk and hence make a choice to continue the pregnancy.
The test is often most recommended for women who:
- Are older than 35
- have a family history of birth defects
- had a viral infection during pregnancy
- have diabetes
- have been exposed to high levels of radiation
Mothers-to-be who do not have the above issues may still choose to have a double-marker test to assess the risk and hence e prepared accordingly.
The science behind the double marker test
A double marker test is a simple maternal blood test. It checks for the levels of two specific substances in the blood. These two blood markers are Free Beta HCG and PAPP-A.
Free Beta HCG: Free Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone released by the placenta after embryo implantation. This hormone helps in the development of your baby and keeps the pregnancy going. The levels of HCG go up fast during the first trimester. The levels are highest around the 14th week of the last menstrual period.
Then the levels go down gradually. The amount of HCG in your blood can give information about your pregnancy and the health of your baby. After delivery, no HCG is found. More HCG is released in case of multiple pregnancies as compared to a single pregnancy. A low amount of HCG is released if the embryo is located other than the uterus i.e. ectopic pregnancy. If you are pregnant and your HCG levels are going down abnormally, a miscarriage is very likely.
PAPP-A: Pregnancy Associated plasma protein A is a protein produced by the embryo and the placenta. Low levels of PAPP-A can be associated with Down’s syndrome. Low levels may also be associated with low birth weight and early delivery.
Hence an extra scan should be done to check the growth of the baby if low PAPP-A is found. Increased level of PAPP-A indicates increased risk of trisomy 21. Reduced levels of PAPP-A are associated with an increased chance of trisomy 18. If the first-trimester PAPP-A level is less than 0.4 MOM then there is a high risk of adverse obstetrical outcomes like intra-uterine growth restriction, premature delivery, and stillbirth.
| Test | Down’s Syndrome | Trisomy 18 |
| HCG | High | Low |
| PAPP-A | Low | Low |
The procedure of double marker test
Double Marker is a simple maternal serum test. You don’t need any special preparations for the test. You can eat or drink normally before the test. An elastic band will be wrapped around your upper arm.
The site will be cleaned with alcohol. After a sufficient amount of blood is drawn, the needle is withdrawn and pressure is put at the site. A small bandage might be put to stop bleeding. The whole procedure will take a few minutes.
Risks associated with the double marker test
A double marker test is a blood test of the mother so no harm is caused to the fetus. So there is no risk of miscarriage or other pregnancy-related complications.
You may get a small bruise at the site of the needle injection.
In rare cases, the vein may become swollen. A warm compress can be used at the site several times a day.
If you are suffering from bleeding or clotting problems or if you take blood-thinning medicine like aspirin, tell your doctor before the blood sample is taken.
Result of double marker test
A mathematical calculation involving the levels of these substances (HCG and PAPP-A) and considerations of maternal age, family history, body weight, race, and diabetic status are used to evaluate a numeric risk for Down syndrome and for Edwards syndrome, in the fetus.
This risk is then compared with an established cut-off. If the risk is more than the cut-off value, then it is considered a positive screening test.
A positive screen test means the chances of the fetus having one of the chromosomal disorder is higher than usual. Your doctor will then recommend further diagnostic tests like CVS or amniocentesis. CVS is performed in the first trimester from 10 to 13 weeks of gestation, whereas amniocentesis can be performed starting at 15 weeks of gestation.
You may be advised a new blood screening (NIPT or Harmony testing) that evaluates the fetal DNA in a woman’s blood and can give doctors an indication of chromosomal abnormalities.
A positive screen test does not necessarily mean that the baby will be born with a birth defect.
If the risk is less than the cut-off risk, then the result is screen negative. You do not need to go for a further diagnostic test.
The accuracy of the test varies from lab to lab. This test correctly detects Down’s syndrome in 69 out of 100 cases. When done in conjunction with ultrasound the accuracy increases to 79%. This means that the test misses detecting the condition in 21 cases out of a hundred cases.
There is also a chance of getting a false positive i.e. result showing a high risk of defects while the baby is totally normal. This can lead to unnecessary stress and further testing. The doctor or genetic counselor will advise you after taking other factors like hereditary, age, race, and diabetes into consideration.
Hope you liked our blog in the double marker test and we were able to provide you with the lowest double marker test price in your city in India.
Please read our other articles related to pregnancy:
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