Combined screening for downs syndrome

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone can help me. We just had our 12 week scan on Thursday and the obstetrician said that everything looked good. The baby had 1.6 mm of fluid at the neck and a nasal bone so we were told that we were at a low risk of having a baby with down syndrome. But when my 10 week blood result came back, they have put us in high risk (1 in 57). I am 32. Just wondering if anyone knows about the 2 hormones which they test for. My results were free beta HCG (2.6 MOM) and pregnancy associated plasma protein A (0.28), and I have been told they should be close to 1. Does anyone know if anything can effect these 2 hormnones. I've ben taking Vit D and zinc because I have been deficient.

We are now thinking about an amnio but I would like to know the doctor's personal risk ratios for miscarriage. Has anyone had it done in Melbourne with doctor's with a low risk ratio? I have been asking around but some clinics are reluctant to tell me. Any help would be very appreciated.

Thanks, AMP

Just bumping this for you, I really am not sure I can help with any of your questions.

I had an amnio done by Dr Peter Lee in Dandenong. He's very experienced & managed to do it in one needle & without inflicting any pain whatsoever on me. I don't know what his risk ratio was but I was told by my hospital that he's one of the best around on this side of town as are his rooms for 3D/4D scans when there is a risk of a trisomy. The procedure itself was not at all traumatic, but the lead up to it and the wait for the results were both really difficult.

I had a 1/37 risk at the age of 41 (at conception, 42 at birth) and my bub did not have DS. My bloods were OK, it was the NT measurement that increased my risk factor. Because of this I can't give you any advice re the blood test as I never investigated that side of it.

Whatever you decide to do remember that 56 out of 57 women with the same results as you will not have a DS bub, and one of them will.

Feel free to PM me if you need some support from someone who's already been through it.

AMP,

Thank you for posting this. I am in a very similar boat. I have PMed Satya as I have quite a few questions and am really looking for some experience advice - more from someone who has been through this.

I have all the medical advice, but I get the feeling my OB hasn't really encountered such bad odds.

Feel free to PM me if you need some support too. I am also 32.

LP

A girl I know was in her late 30s when pg with her last bub (IVF) and had a 1:10 risk from the NT/bloods, she had the amnio and it was fine! Baby is now a healthy little boy. So take heart.
My obs said the risk of m/c with an amnio is 1:400, my risk with DS after the testing was 1:850 (I was 39) so we didn't have the amnio.