A question about Nuchal Fold ultrasound

Does anyone know when the Nuchal Fold ultrasound needs to be carried out. I was under the impression that it was at 12 weeks. My doctor told me to come back in to see her at the end of March so she could book me in but by then I will be 16 weeks pregnant. Please tell me I'm not going nuts ](*,) . Doctors aren't always right are they?

She also seems to be counting my pregnancy from the first day of my missed period rather than the first day of my last period. Maybe that is why she has the date mixed up. Anyway I am sure when I had my daughter Erin that I had this ultrasound at 12 weeks. Maybe it is time to get a new doctor!! She is very nice but seems a bit clueless about this whole prgnancy thing.

Kate

Hi Kate,

I can't remember from my first pregnancy which test they did when. But I know I had an ultrasound at 12 weeks and one at 18 weeks.

Sorry I can't be much more help than that.

Belinda

Hi Kate

I know that you have to be at least 10 and a half weeks pregnant before they can do the test, but they like it at around 12 weeks. I wasn't told the latest time that you could have one done - but 16 weeks to me seems very late. I got the impression that there was a distinct window of opportunity to do the test and it was worthless if you have the test done either too early or too late.

My advice would be to call either the people that you'll be going to to have the scan done, or your local Women's and Children's Hospital to get some advice. It would be a shame to miss out because of some bad information from your dr. You're right, they don't always know everything.

Hope that helps

Best of luck

Tam
:D

Hi Kate,

I had this scan done last Friday when I was 12w1d. The OB told me that the baby has to be at least 43mm in length to enable the scan to be performed (I saw him at 10.5w and were just under this at the time so the scan couldn't be done and we waited until our next OB appt). He also told me that there is a distinct window of opportunity in which to perform the scan and from memory, it was between 11 and 13w. As far as I know, 16w would be too late (don't quote me as I'm not sure!).

And you're right, your PG is counted from the first day of your LMP, not the first day of your missed period.

I think your GP might have been having a bad day!

HTH....

Okay good old me still has all the nuchal fold testing leaflets that I got when I had to go for mine.

it says

Sometime when you are between 10 and 20wks pregnant you may be offered some screening tests to check for abnormalities in your baby. The tests involved are a blood test and a ultrasound scan.

If you are between 10 and 14 wks pregnant the blood test and ultrasound can be used together to show if there is a greater than expected chance (an increased risk) that your baby might have Down Syndrome

If you are between 14 adn 20wks, the blood test can show if there is a greater than expected chance (an increased risk) that your baby might have Down Syndrome or a Neural Tube Defect.

If your screening test results show yoru baby is at increased risk of having Down Syndrome or a neural tube defect, only further tests will show whether or not this is so.

So I assume your doctor is only going to check via blood sample only which is done later in your pregnancy 14-20wks. I was told when I fell pregnant that combining it with an ultrasound at 12wks is only reasonably new (a combined u/sound and blood test wasn't offered to me when i was pregnant in 2001)

Hope this helps :) but I would seek another doctor if you aren't happy with the one you are with.

Love :smt049

hi there

i was part of a study when i was pregnant with my son back in 1999 (he was born in may 2000) this was to study the results of blood test and ultrasound to check for any abnormalities. from memory this was down i think an ultrasound around 10 or 12 weeks followed by a blood test at 14 weeks.

i am actually having a ultrasound and blood test on tuesday 10th feb i will be 10wks and 2 days and apparantely this test is now done routinely and i know that at least 3 obs in my area do it at 10 wks.

hope this helps

Thanks for that information. I rang the hospital where I am having the test done and they said to book in between 11 and 13 weeks for the ultrasound as that was the ideal time to do the test. Better make another appointment with my doctor. Thanks again
Kate

Thought I might bump this up to the top again as it has been on discussion quite a bit lately :)