High Risk Nuchal Result

Hello all, this is my first post although I've been reading a bit of this site for a while!

Just after stories and experiences from anyone who had a high risk nuchal result and took it further, ie CVS or amnio.

I am 11 weeks today, had my nuchal scan this morning, ultrasound was fine, I am 32 so my age is fine, but the blood test results showed a high level of a certain hormone which put me in the high risk category of 1:276.

This is my second pregnancy, my first child was fine, no probs in pregnancy, and my risk in that nuchal was one in 2000 or something!

I am frightened about CVS and amnio, although I am leaning towards CVS so that I can find out and soon. But I am dreading bad news.

Has anyone had a high risk result? Did you find out whether this was based on the fold measurement or the bloods or was it your age?

I'd just like to compare stories so I can get a better idea of the situation.

Cheers and thanks heaps,

Jo

Hi Jo,

I had a high risk result due to my bloods mine was 1:294. I am 34 and the NF was fine at the scan. I did say at first i wanted no testing and i wasn't told until it was too late to have the CVS done. But after a few weeks of not knowing what was going on with our baby i ended up with the amnio at 16wks and had the two week wait for the result. My results came back fine.

A lot will say it depends on what you do with results but it also helps to know from now until the birth what is wrong or if nothing is wrong. Also if they do find a problem with the baby and you go ahead with the pregnancy it heps prepare you for the furture and get all the support you need.

Can i ask what State you are from and if they are offering you come genetic counselling ?

Hi Michelle,

Yes I'm in Sydney and the centre has offered me a scrawled name on the back of a business card to speak to if I need to. Might call tomorrow.

Was your amnio painful? Scary?

Jo

Hi Jo
I dont have any advice, But im praying that everything will be ok. I hope you get a good result!
Jenni

Hi Jo,

The amnio wasn't to bad i was more worried i would wet myself as my bladder was so full and they had me waiting 45mins. With mine they had to try twice and i knew each time when they went in. I made sure i rested for a couple of days they say only 24hrs but i didn't want to risk anything going wrong.

I found talking to the cousellor helped a lot as at the stage we had said no to testing but it wasn't until i spoke to them that made my mind up.

Hi

I had a CVS after my results returned a 1:12 risk my NF mesurement was .3 i think?? and it was my bloods that really gave the high result.. We were offered and took counselling and decided that we would have the CVS so we could prepare ourselves if something was not normal. As our results came back as a healthy little girl we did not have to do any further counselling.

Eve though i dont know you imy thoughts are with you.. If you get the CVS test done and you can afford to do so i would highly recomment paying for the FISH test which gives you some results in a couple of days.. This test is not covered by medicare unfortunatly.

all the best

xoxo

We had an amnio following a high risk NT scan. Our results were 1 in 278 for downs and 1 in 98 for trisomy 13 and 18. The NF measurement was fine 1.6mm at 12 weeks, but I think my bloods as well as the baby measuring over a week behind was the clue. Unfortunately ours was not to be a happy ending story.
Our FISH results came back within 24 hours showing our son had triploidy.

We did originally go for the CVS but by placenta was so small and thin they wouldn't have been able to get enough cells so we had to wait another 3 weeks for the amnio. It didn't really hurt, I had no local just the needle pushed in, sort of took my breath away but it is over very quickly. It is definatley an easier test to do than the CVS it's just whether you can wait that long without knowing.

I suppose it really depends on your individual situation whether you wait for the amnio or do the CVS early. Hopefully you have been advised the risks associated with each procedure so you can make an educated choice.

As Michelle has said, speak to a genetic counsellor if you can i the meantime.

All the best

I had a Nt thickness of 6mm and my bloods came back with a similar result. We had a CVS after speaking to the genetic councelor. My risk was 1:20 for downs and !:39 for Turner syndrome.
The local anaesthetic was the painful bit and because I was already run down from worry, I got very sick after it. I felt as though I had done 100 sit ups without training for it.
Fortunately for us, our FISH results came back normal and then we got our final results last Thursday and they were fine too. Now i have to have an u/s at 16 weeks and at 20 weeks to check for heart defects and to make sure the fluid has gone down at the back of the neck.
I guess it depends on what you want to do if the end results arent so good. If you would continue the pregnancy regardless of whether it has any abnomalities, dont have the test. However if you wouldnt continue and would opt for termination, then by all means do it. Its up to you. It is a scary process, but one that you have to decide on. Good luck.
Melissa

JO,
Reading your post gave me shivers, I was in a similar situation. I was given a one in 192 chance of Downs. I was devistated, I was 19 weeks, I was getting married in two weeks time, if i had the amnio, and we needed to terminate I would have to go before an ethics committee as it would be over 20 weeks (the amino results take a while). I cried a lot. I was ashamed and did not tell anyone except my Mum and of course BellyBelly.

DH and I decided not to do the amnio as for us there was no point, we would not terminate regardless of the results.

That said, the next 20 weeks were the most stressful of my life. I walked down the isle to the song "I love you just the way you are" and it was not just for my wonderful DH, but for my unborn child. I promised I would love it regardless.

Looking back, I'm not sure I made the right choice. i think if i had to do it again, I would do the amnio. Just to know what we faced. But that is me, I am not that fond of the unknown.

you are is such a hard place, my heart goes out to you honey.. you need to weigh all the risks of the amnio with what you would do with the results. Can you get a second opinion? I saw a wonderful man; Jules Black at Randwick (he is on the WWW) who helped me a lot.

We are all here for you if you need a shoulder.

good luck
CC

Also don't forget to look on the positive side of things, there is a 275 in 276 chance that everything will be fine! That's a 99.6% chance of a good result.

Jo

I had a really high risk result with my 3rd child, 1 in 72, I think it was. I did a heap of research and it wasnt so much the measurement, I think that was 1.2 or something but it was within normal range, but add to that my age, and the bloods and it was a bad result.

I spoke at length with the u/s guy, and my OB and basically they left the rest up to me. They said it was my decision to have an amnio or not. Considering that I had had 4 m/c's before finally managing to keep this baby, there was no way that I was going to risk anything at all.

It was really stressful but I guess that I just knew deep down that bubs was fine.

I would talk to a counsellor or someone who knows a bit about it all.

I had 2 healthy daughters prior to this, so I couldnt work out why the results would be so high!

I hope that everything works out fine.

Thanks so much to everyone who's replied to this post, everyone's story helps remind me that I'm not the only one who's had a scary result.

I've decided to go through with CVS (if it's possible as my uterus is currently tilted backwards, so we're waiting to see if it rights itself in the next week and a half. Silly uterus.)

If not then I have to decide whether to go ahead with amnio. But obviously I'd like to know soon so could everyone please keep all their bits crossed for me!!!

Waiting game. Many thanks again, bless you all, will let you know how I go.

Cheers,

Jo. x

Hope all goes well with the CVS Jo.
Will be thinking of you.