Nuchal Translucency (?) scan

Hi Guys,

Just wondering about this scan, I don't think I am going to have it done because:
(a) Just found it it will cost be around $300; and
(b) Ifthe results weren't good, I don't think I would go ahead with the further testing anyway - have heard that there is a high risk of miscarriage.

But on the other hand, I would want to know if something was wrong so that I could be prepared.

So I am just wondering, is there anything else crucial that they would normally do at this scan that I would be missing out on, or is it simply to detect down syndrome?

I will have the standard 18/20 week scan.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Krystel - I didnt have that scan either as I would not have terminated the preg even if the results are bad. I did have the 20 week scan and the sonographer said that the fold looked fine at that one.

You have a scan to start with and if the results are bad then I think you can have a blood test and then maybe the vile sampling - I could be wrong tho.

Hi

Firstly, the test is screening only - not diagnostic - so you won't get a definitive result only a ratio chance of downs. I am unsure how old you are - but it is recommended if you are over 35 in particular because the quality of your little eggies deteriorate as we get older :rolleyes:

Re : risk of miscarriage with further testing - yes of course there is one. But loads of ladies go on to have further testing whether by CVS (testing of placenta) or amnio (fluid) and everything is fine.

So yes it is a very personal decision - what would you do if your resutls came back high risk - pursue further testing or not? If not, I wouldn't get it done. If you would have further testing to know to potentially prepare but wouldn't terminate the preg, personally I still wouldn't have it done.

Good luck with your decision making hun :hug:

well you get your blood tested that combined with age and the NT measurement all combine together to give you your risk. so maybe you can just get the blood test done??

from memory (first pregnancy) they did a few other measurements and had a look at the heart but the main goal of the u/s is to measure the nuchal fold.

if you are paying 300 would you get most of that back on medicare?? or can you get a referral for a place that bulk bills??

i personally would want to get it done, though i dunno if i got a high risk if i would go on for further tets. but i think i would want the rest of the pregnancy to get it sorted in my head that i could have a child with downs syndrome.

$300 seems a bit much!!!!!! Is there anywhere else you could go??
The NT scan isn't necessary if you don't want to know your risk for Downs, everything else they can do at the 20wk scan :)

i only had the scan done so i could see my bub. I didnt care what the re****s were. I know i didnt pay $300 thats for sure! come to think of it... i didnt even pay $1.. i had both the bloods and scan done and didnt pay a cent.

its up to you whether u want it done. Its only a decision YOU can make.

HTH

Hi Krystle
If you want to get it done get a referral for your local public hospital. You will still have to pay but its only about $150 and you get half of the money back from Medicare.

I am only 25 and there has been no down syndrome in my partners or my families but I wanted to be prepared if my risk was high and a VERY BIG BONUS is that you will get to see that gorgeous baby of yours! I know it was one of the best moments of my life!
Whatever you decide it is your decision and I know that not all women do get it done.
The blood test is included in that price as well and is done on the same day or near to the day that the scan is done. Good Luck with your decision.

You will get a lot of that back from Medicare. The risk of m/c with further testing is actually very low and if it's done by someone with lots of experience rarely happens. Most major defects will be picked up at the 20 week scan, but not everything can be detected by scan alone.

We didn't have the NT scan for either of our boys. With DS#2 we had a sizing scan at 13wks anyways, so we still got to see him, but just didn't have the NT testing deal.

Good luck with your decision.
I hope you have a H&H pg.

xx

To get the money back for a NT scan from medicare can be a complex issue...the referral has to be worded right and there MUST BE A REASON for doing the scan. If you are not in a high risk group (age, fam history etc) there is a chance that you wont get anything back. I used to work in a bulkbilling ultrasound clinic and there were heaps of hoops that we had to jump through to get medicare to pay up.
But as the PP have said...its a personal choice. It also just an assessment of risk ie 1 in 12987 chance of having a child with trispmy 13,18 or 15.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Rebecca- I had no problems and was considered low risk (due to my age and fam history) to get the NT done. What my GP wrote on the referral was a standard letter stating that I would like to be tested for the NT. No questions were asked about my family history or my partners. When I paid the money at the hospital I was given a receipt and took it to Medicare that afternoon and recieved half of my money back. No problems at all. I am in NSW- not sure if this is different in other states but Medicare is a national thing.

it all depends on what item number was on the receipt whether medicare will give you your money back...they dont see the referral. they rely on the clinic to get it rigth.
My GP wrote on my letter that i wished to get it done with no fam history or age risks and the clinic that iworked for wouldnt even bulk bll me - i paid and got nothing back. it all depends on the clinic adn their method/interpretation of medicare rules/regulations. And from memory - there are heaps!!

I had the scan done on the 12th september, mainly so i could make sure baby was even there (id had 2 miscarriages already this year) It cost me $165 and i cant claim any of it back. Im only 25 so i had the scan done by choice even though it is my second baby and the first turned out fine. with my first i didnt have the scan, only the one at 18 weeks. mMy risk came back at 1 in 14000 chance that the baby would have it.

Hi Krystle, my doc told it is purely a scan to determine if the baby will be a downs one. But as someone else said, the scan is not 100% accurate. It's measured on the baby's neck or something like that. If the measurements are in the downs area, then that's when they ask if you want the needle into the placenta which can cause miscarriage.
I could not go to the hospital and get it done for free, as I am not over 30, so I have to go to a private clinic and is going to cost me $390!! Which I will get probably half back from MC. I don't particually want to go for the scan, but my fiance does. My appt is 21st Oct, so I am feeling a little anxious about it.

It is really a personal thing weather or not to have the nuchal translucency test. I know little about billing but in my experience people receive a percentage of the cost back. Your doctor will be aware of billing codes etc so you just need to mention this.

Now the nuchal translucency test is a combined u/s and blood test. The blood test is for free bhcg and PappA. Then you will have an u/s. The u/s measures the nuchal fold at the back of your babies neck. After 13 weeks and 5 days the nuchal fold measurement cannot be accurately measured. So, the test has to be done before then and after 11 weeks and 5 days (times approx and will depend on the practice)

Many women will have the nt test regardless if they would have further testing. It is a very personal thing. For some women the need to know is very important for others it is not.

This is a screening test NOT a diagnostic test. So you will be given a ratio - of say 1:500 so if this was your result for every 500 women with the same result 1 will have a baby with chromosomal issues.

This test does not only screen for downs syndrome or trisomy 21. Most chromosomal issues present similarly on u/s at this gestation. Contrary to popular belief chromosomal disorders do not happen just to older mothers they can occur in babies of younger mothers also.

There are also so called "soft markers" that show on u/s. Many babies with chromosomal issues especially trisomy 21 and 15 do not have a nasal bone - this can be examined during nt u/s. The kidneys are often affected as is the heart and sometimes cysts on the brain.

I would recommend all women go to a fetal medicine unit to have their nt u/s. Here a fetal medicine obstetrician will review your u/s most often whils you are there. You will leave on the day with your result. Usually you will have the blood test a day or two prior to u/s.



HTH

First of all I'd just like to say that as much as I complain about my local hospital they don't rip me off. I've NEVER had to pay for any ultrasound for any reason and I don't think I've even seen any facilities for people to pay ... I'm in NSW also and age etc never has anything to do with it. You're just never asked - give the medicare card and away you go.

Anyway! I'm glad though now that we have a healthcare card we can go to our local medical imaging place because they bulk bill if you have a h/c card which is awesome cos they give you the films 5 minutes later to take home with you.

I had the scan with Jovi. Was never a consideration in my mind - mainly because I wanted to see her so badly. It's certainly personal choice though and not something that is 100% accurate. My SIL and bro had one with their first and were told at repeated screenings that the baby had downs and a heap of other complications - one final scan before they had to make the aweful and stressful decision that they would terminated they saw yet ANOTHER specialist who ran all the same tests, rang the other doctos and it turned out that the machines weren't calibrated right!!!! Abi is now 3 and there's not a damn thing wrong with her.

So I guess even if you did it and they gave you a bad report, I would certainly have 2 or 3 other opinions before I started thinking about anything else.

We'll prob have the scan with this one but at the moment all I am thinking about is our u/s we're having on the 3rd to make sure the baby is well and growing (since we miscarried a few months ago). Time seems to be going VERY slowly ...

Good post Flowerchild.

When I got a high NT measurement they spent a lot of time looking at the nasal bone which fortunately was present which helped ease my worry a little, but I still chose to have an amnio just to make sure (1/37 chance of DS). It's one of those things you just don't know what you'd do until you are faced with the decision to know more about your pregnancy. You may think you wouldn't have invasive testing, but most women who are faced with a high risk of a chromosonal issue do actually go on and have it done. It would be incredibly hard to go through the pregnancy without knowing one way or the other.

Most DS bubs are actually born to women in their twenties even though their risk is much lower than women in their late 30's or in their 40's. This is thought to be because many women in that agegroup don't get the NT test done, nor do they usually go for invasive testing like most women over 35 do (and often go on to terminate if a trisomy is detected).

You are absolutely right Satya - in Australia "most" babies with trisomy 21 are born to women under 35.