Pregnancy is the period of time when a fetus develops inside a woman’s uterus and ends with the birth of the infant. There are a variety of clinical laboratory tests and diagnostics typically used prior to and throughout pregnancy. The tests and diagnostics provide useful information from the time pregnancy is first considered through the initial days of the newborn’s life.

Discuss the most common screening test and diagnostics used throughout pregnancy and the purpose of the tests. When during pregnancy are tests performed and what is the protocol when an abnormal test or diagnostic is found?