What should your Beta HCG & PappA levels be? What levels indicate Downs.

[RTchoke]

I've posted a lot in this section recently. I apologise. I'm going round in circles after my NHS combined test suggested a 1:10 chance of Downs but a private scan at the Fetal Medicine Centre suggested 1:6250.

I can't get the NHS result out of my mind. The nuchal was 3.2mm which isn't great but isn't terrible. So I guess my bloods must have been v bad but from what I've read I'm not sure. My FreeBeta hCG was 49.550 IU/I, my Papp-A was 2.011 IU/I.

I had the private (AddMark) test and was told by the NHS consultant that their (NHS) test was nowhere near as good, using far fewer markers. See if there's any chance you can get results that are "MoM" - multiles of Mean, I think it means, which show how high each marker is relevant to the average. Generally tho, the private scan is the one to heed...

Yes, I wish I had the Mom results.

I know the private scan was more thorough but I am just so shaken by the 1:10 risk. It haunts me in the middle of the night & I fear it will haunt me all pregnancy. In dark moments I worry the markers included in the private consultation are too experimental.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately the only way to conclusively put your mind at rest is to have a diagnostic test (cvs or amniocentesis, depending on your stage of pregnancy).

As a rough rule of thumb, in a T21 pregnancy, PAPP-A is lower than the MoM, and Beta HCG is higher than the MoM (multiple of median). Can you get the MoM figures? It may not help anyway. For what it's worth, in my first pregnancy my PAPP-A was 0.48 MoM and my Beta HCG 2.65 MoM. My baby did have Down syndrome.

There are other markers they can look for as well such as the blood flow through the ductus venosus, the angle of the face, and cardiac issues which are indicative of Downs but if you have been to the FMC I'm sure they will have looked for all those.

Thanks efficient. The FMC did look at all those soft markers and all were normal. They also did a new screening blood test called Harmony that looks for baby's DNA in maternal blood and is meant to be very reliable. It gave me a 1 in 10000 chance of Down Syndrome.

So everything at FMC was great and I just wish my stupid brain could hold on to that but I can't forget the 1 in 10 NHS result.

DH now says the did tell us the MoMs and PappA was between 1 and 2. That sounds good. He thinks HCG was higher which isn't so good I guess.

Sorry ghislane - my phone changed yr name to efficient!

I'm sure if the PappA is v low and hcg high that can be an indicator of downs BUT please remember that lots of women can get poor results and go on to have healthy babies. I had a 1 in 7 result, my hcg and Papp results were double the level they should be, I chose to have a cvs and my baby is fine. 1 in 10 actually means there is a 90% chance everything is okay? It is just a statistic however I do understand how you feel as I've been there but I think you should take comfort in the additional tests you've had but others are right, the only way you will get 100% guarantee is through a diagnostic test. These tests are always a worry as you always worry 'what if our baby is the one'? Sometimes I wish I'd never had the nuchal test but what I would also say is if you were to do a diagnostic test and you didn't get the result you want, what would you do as that may help you decide whether to be reassured by what you've been told already or whether you need a 100% guarantee. Either way, I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy and good luck in whatever you decide as I know how you feel x

p.s your Papp result I'm sure is where it should be, I think if it was 0.something then that is considered low but others may know more than me! X

Thanks Newbie.

I think I want a CVS. I've been up since 4am worrying and can't carry on like this. The thing is that DH is entirely reassured by the FMC results so if I have a CVS it will be for myself and of course if anything goes wrong I'll know it was me and me alone that chose to risk the baby.

Hello RT, saw your name and just wanted to offer support.

If you have a CVS at the FMC, the risk of miscarriage is very low. I have a friend who had Prof Nicolaides himself do it and she said he was very robust and told her not to do any weight training afterwards but nothing else. A friend who is my age (and so in a much riskier group than you) had one there last week on Monday and got the results (all good) thursday. So not long to wait.

I think it would offer you peace and reassurance, which otherwise might be difficult for the next few weeks. Thinking of you. Big hugs XXX

I didn't find the CVS procedure that bad, I just shut my eyes and counted to keep my mind off it. I rested completely for 2 days after it as in totally did nothing, I probably didn't need to be quite so cautious but I'd already suffered a miscarriage earlier this year (nothing to do with any testing, it was a natural mc). I also took things easy for 10 days post procedure. I hope everything goes okay for you and completely understand how you feel, these blooming statistics stick in your head and worry you. If its going to worry you for the duration of your pregnancy then maybe you are better to know for sure, that is how I felt but I know how hard it is when there are risks involved too, albeit I have heard fantastic things re. Prof nicolaides, I'm sure he is a world expert on the procedure so you couldn't be in safer hands xx