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The risk increases with maternal age, however most babies with down syndrome are born to Mums under 35 -because older Mums are more likely to have prenatal testing.:
First trimester screening is available to Mums of all ages. Mums over the age of 37 can go straight to cvs/amnio because it is this age at which the chance of having a child with down syndrome is greater than the risk of miscarriage from amnio (1/200).
im just wondering why you'd want the test earlier?:
Just because it's really nerve-wracking to have to wait 12 weeks to get the all-clear especially at my age when you've read for years how high risk older women are.
We decided not to bother with NT scan as we knew we wouldn't terminate no matter what, plus I was only 22 so was very low risk.
With next bub we wont be getting the NT scan either.
We're getting one done on Monday, and the only reason is to see our baby and hear it's heartbeat again! Silly I know. We wouldn't terminate even if it came back that our baby will have Down syndrome, to me life is sacred!
I never had the NF test done, or the blood tests, with any pregnancy. With the twins I also declined the 12 week dating scan so I didn't find out it was twins until 21 weeks when they finally persuaded me to have an anomaly scan:doh:
... I had the NT scan... and have to admit that I had the u/s for reassurance - in general, due to having 4 previous 1st trimester losses. The result of the u/s wouldn't have changed anything for me
I haven't had the scan in either of my pregnancies. Besides the fact that i wouldn't terminate i am of the belief that it kinda gives a false sense of relief in some cases. Yeah sure your DS test comes back fine but there are so many other conditions that can't be tested for and you still may find that the baby that tested 'perfect' on the scan does infact have another type of additional need that you aren't prepared for. So personally because of my age and the fact that there are no herediatary(sp) conditions in my family i wouldn't test.
Also looking at all the unnecessary stress and extra tests so many of you were put through only to end up with a healthy baby doesn't seem that great for mum or bub. JMO
With my 1st 3 pregnancies NT was not routinely done so i did not have them and all my boys were fine.
With my 2nd husband and our 1st baby i decided to have it done as i wanted to know everything we were in for and to be prepared for any problems bub might have we said we would never terminate a down syndrome baby but what people dont know it the NT also detects other genetic problems ect our risk came back at 1 in 2 for a chromosonal problem we wanted to know what the baby had so we had a cvs it came back all clear so we had an amnio it came back all clear but all the u/s picked up multiple abnormalities and by the time we got to 19 and a half weeks we found out our daughter was not viable with life and could die in utero any time or would die at birth so the decision that i said i would never terminate changed as it was the kindest thing to do for our baby i dont think anyone can really make that decision until they are faced with the reality of being pregnant with a serverly abnormal baby and what is the best and safest option for mother and baby.
I am currently almost 13 weeks pregnant and have had the NT and another cvs because i need to know and if faced with the same heartbreaking news i would not continue the pregnancy to just watch this baby suffer a horrible death once born.
The NT is just a test for markers that could indicate a bub with problems but i can tell you it opened my eyes and i will never take a pregnancy forgranted ever again.
i had the NT test done with DS because i just wanted to make sure everything was A ok :) and because i wanted to see bubba and the dr said why not go and have a sticky beak at him. our results were a 1 in over 2 million.
WELL we were that 1. we found out after he was born on day 3 that he had DS i was only 19 and DH was 26 so our chances were VERY low they were that low they didnt bother with the bloods or anything he was born a whopping 10 pounds and only spent 11 days in hospital because we had to wait 3 days for the DS test results to come back and then we had to have his heart checked and he is 2 and as healthy as ever :) his the cheekiest monkey and i wouldnt have ever done anything different.
however im 4 weeks pregnant with B#2 AND we are going to be having a CVS and the NT scans done again but we have a referal to a major specialist in it and im sure we will be there for a while because of what happened last time we most definelty would NOT terminate BUT we would definelty like a heads up this time :)
Each to there own and hey they are the most gorgeous kids you will EVER meet he literally makes people at the shops who are having a bad day STOP and smile with him. Xo
My friend was told with her first pregnancy that she was high risk, she then went on to have "the other test" as I like to call it and was told everything was fine, he was actually born 6-7 weeks early and she had heard somewhere that it could have been caused by "the other test" I don't know if it was just a coincidence or not, I myself have had the NT test with both my daughters and I will have it with the next baby as well.
I had the scan and I was only 24. I agree with some of the other ladies not only did it put my mind to rest (obviously a good result will help you sleep better at night anytime during your pregnancy) but I am addicted at seeing my baby. So either way, it cost $200.00 but I have had no regretes and think it is a investment to your future bubs health.
I just had the test on monday. I also had the blood tests. I am a worrier, and wanted to be prepared if anything was wrong, becuase they dont just check for genetic issues, they check everything else as well to make sure they are all going ok. To me I prefer knowing.
I don't agree with only get it if your going to terminate, becuase that test isnt definate. Its the amnio/CV that is. It just gives you a risk assessment. Well worth it I think, to know your placenta, babys heart, arms legs, head, brain, umbilical cord, blood vessels, your cervix .. to say the least is all developing ok.
I cant believe I was the last person to post here haha such a long time ago :) Didn't have it this time around. Figured would let be what would be. I've mellowed out a bit I think.
Last time I posted I hadn't had it with DD1 and since then I also declined with DD2. Only had the morphology scan with both.
I had it with all three of my babies. I am a worrier and I liked the reassurance the test gave me. I understand that for some women the results create unnecessary worry, but for us the risk of DS was low and achieved the goal of putting my mind at ease. I don't think I would terminate a baby with DS, but I guess you just don't know until faced with that situation.
I read several replies where PP's said that they 'just wanted to see my baby again'. When I was pg with DS (my second child) I had the the morphology scan at 21 weeks. Like so many other women, I rocked up to the scan just wanting to see my baby and hoping to find out the gender. I was utterly floored when we were told (after a completely normal scan at 12 weeks) that DS had gross renal abnormalities and was 'incompatible with life'. We were advised to terminate as it was an 'unviable pg'. I will never forget the feeling of falling, falling, falling as the doctor spoke those words. The whole world shifted on its axis. We decided to continue the pg, being emotionally unable to terminate at that stage of pg and perhaps in denial that this could be happening. DS is now 7 and, although he does have renal problems, he is a happy, healthy, completely normal little man. I was not so naive when walking into the scans for DD2 - in fact, I was petrified! I wonder what it was like for our grandmother's without access to all this technology - more stressful or less?