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Pregnancy

Low PAPP-A result and placenta lakes

4 replies

PenguinWatch · 28/01/2016 16:58

I'm hoping for some advice/reassurance.

I had my 12 week scan last week and everything was fine. NT measurement was 1.7mm and everything else looked great. However, my bloods were, in the words of the sonographer, "bad" (she referred to them as such 3 times). My PAPP-A was 0.72 and my B-HCG was higher than it should have been. This put my odds of trisomy-21 at 1 in 196 (I'm 34 so my background was 1 in 494). The sonographer said that she wasn't concerned about the trisomy-21 chances because of the NT score and said that the hormone levels could have been affected by the fact I have placenta lakes. When I asked what that meant she breezily said "oh it's part of your placenta that doesn't work properly". I then asked if the hormone levels could be indicators of anything else and she said no, then went back to focussing on trisomy-21 and told me that I could get the Harmony test done privately.

I subsequently googled my results and discovered that both the low PAPP-A and placenta lakes can indicate an increased chance of late miscarriage, still birth and low birthweight. Most of the women I came across discussing their results had been referred to a consultant and given extra growth scans for monitoring. However, the sonographer said nothing about this to me and just seemed to want to rush me out of the room.

Has anyone had similar results? I'm not sure whether I should try and get referred to a consultant but wouldn't know where to start but I'm really stressing about it all.

OP posts:
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Jenjen86 · 28/01/2016 17:31

Hey first of all I'm sorry you are having a bad time and that you haven't been reassured very much. I don't know about the placenta lakes but I also had low PAPP-A. At the moment it's a relatively new thing they are testing to see if there are links to low birth weight, miscarriage, preeclampsia etc be a use they think there MIGHT be a risk placenta doesn't develop correctly.
My PAPP-A was very low (I think it was 0.28), I only got told after my scan by a telephone call and wasn't given any info other than I would receive some appointments by post for growth scans and consultant appointments at 28 and 34 weeks. I am 40 weeks tomorrow and all my scans have shown good healthy growth and no problems. I hope that helps reassure you. I was told the extra monitoring at this stage is to help them understand if there is a link or not so even they don't see it as very risky themselves.
I'd speak to your midwife and maybe ring your antenatal unit at the hospital as my referral was done through them,they can tell you if they are setting up any appointments for you and if not ask your midwife to refer you.
One thing I had Wass that nobody told me that I should be taking aspirin (low dose of 75mg per day), when I went to my first consultant appointment she said "have you been taking aspirin" I was like Erm...no nobody told me to! But apparently it helps blood flow through placenta so can help make sure baby gets what it needs. Obviously check with your midwife before you take any as every woman and pregnancy is different but I didn't know to ask and so had missed taking it for weeks.
Hope this is some help :) Flowers

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CrispsAndChoc · 29/01/2016 10:14

I'm currently 37+5 and was also told that I had low Papp a. No one seemed that concerned (apart from me and dh!) so I googled and scared myself. They only told me at about 24 weeks (although have since said that I would have been told after early bloods but I'm sure I would've remembered) and I've since had 3 growth scans which show all measurements are average and there is no concern and I haven't seen a consultant regarding it. When speaking to midwives it seems that (in my hospital at least) they have only started looking at this to see if there is a link not because there definitely is. I haven't heard about taking aspirin-I haven't been but it won't be harmful to ask. I hope your mind is at ease soon Flowers

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LadyofDispleasure · 29/01/2016 22:06

I think your PAPP-A has to be lower than yours is for extra growth scans etc.

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Pineapple80 · 03/02/2016 09:45

Hi OP, my Papp-A was extremely low at 0.09mom with my first baby, we had to have extra scans and monitoring in the last trimester and he turned out fine, though on the smaller side at 5pounds 11oz. Because of the low Papp-a my risk of trisomy 21 and 13 were also very high so I had CVS done which came back all clear.

Understand how worrying I all is but wanted to let you know of my experience x

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