Hi I wanted to share my experience because most of my friends have never heard of this and it was just by accident that I did. If you are worried by your combined test result, I would highly recommend this private test.
Our results for the NHS combined test were not particularly high risk but they were a lot higher than anyone I knew. This is my first pregnancy beyond 7 weeks (21 weeks now) - I've had miscarriages and complications before so my husband and I were worried but didn't want to risk an Amnio/CVS. Someone happened to mention there was a private simple blood test available that is about as accurate as an Amnio/CVS but carries no risk. I thought it sounded too good to be true and none of my friends had heard of it.
It took me a while (I didn't know what it was called or anything about the method) but eventually, I found the clinic and called them. They saw me the same week and I was given results 12 days later by phone and email. This is the clinic (although the site contains no specific information, you can call them):
www.fetalmedicine.com/
Your baby's DNA is in your blood and a clinic in California isolates it from the mother's blood samples and tests it for chromosomal abnormalities such as Downs. It is not available in the UK but specialist UK clinics (I don't know if there are any outside London) can send samples to the US for analysis. It is over 99% reliable and can be done from 10 weeks. I have read some articles about making it available on the NHS but it sounds like that could take years.
The most surprising aspect of this was that NHS staff are aware of the test but never actively mention it to you even if you say you are worried by your combined test result. When I asked, my GP not only knew about it but said it was a good idea if we could afford it and my midwife told me she would do the same thing in my position.
We are fortunate that we were able to accommodate the cost of £550 (which includes a very thorough scan) but even if this is a stretch, it is worth every penny.
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Antenatal tests
Harmony blood test for Downs Syndrome: an alternative to Amnio/CVS
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maryemarif · 22/05/2013 12:10
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