To have nuchal test or not?

[JellyCurls]

I have my 12 week scan on Wednesday and am tying myself in knots worrying about whether to nuchal test & bloods or not. DC1 has SN, didnt do nuchal test back then but my bloods were clear. Turns out condition couldn't have been detected till 20wk scan where it was noticed. With dc2 we didn't test and scanner refused to measure nuchal translucency as wasn't opting for bloods.

This time round I am older and not sure what to do. How accurate are the tests? Friend of a friend had very low odds, like 1:2000 and her baby had Patau syndrome and is sadly no longer with us which is one that they look for. So can you believe results even if risk is low?

So confused and worried, hope someone can help

I prefer to have all the information I reasonably can - so I'm having the tests when I have my 12 week scan tomorrow. I know that nothing's 100% accurate, but I'd prefer to have that risk than the completely unknown.

Are you the kind of person that can ignore the info and not worry about it should it be not so good news? Or will it be preying on your mind?

If you wouldn't do anything anyway then perhaps it's best not to do them?

Even if you decide you do want the nuchal test there is no guarantee that they will be able to do it.

When I went for my NHS scan baby was in the wrong position for the measurement, they sent me for a walk then tried again but were still unable to do it. At that point they sent me home and when I asked about coming back another day I was told that I'd had my chance and they were far to busy to be able to get me back to try again.

I ended up paying to have it done privately, which compared to the rushed NHS scan was an amazing expierence and worth every penny.

My personal choice was to not have it done with any of my babies as the results wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference as to what my reaction would have been. Had I found out there was something wrong I'd be worrying and googling all through the pregnancy. I wouldn't have terminated .

However, it's a very personal choice and it depends what you would do with the results. If its just for information then id maybe leave it.

But absolutely each to their own. I'm not judging at all. Go with your instinct.

Hi Jellycurls, I too was low risk after nuchal/ bloods and discovered at 26 weeks that my baby had Edward's syndrome. She had growth issues and a heart abnormality post 20week scan. Like Patau's syndrome, Edwards is fatal and is one of the 3 main trisomies which can be detected at the Nuchal scan.

However, they remind you that your statistic is a risk factor and therefore you can be that 1. Also, I subsequently discovered that the NHS (at least in our area) very much focuses on Down's syndrome rather than the others and because the bloods are different in each of the 3 trisomies you can be 'low risk' for Down's but actually your baby can have another of the trisomies.

As you can imagine, I was very anxious in my subsequent pregnancy and had a private Nuchal scan at the Fetal Medical Centre in London and was reassured by the high level of detail they could go in to and the greater reliability which resulted from that. They restored my faith in the Nuchal scan but I don't think the NHS one would have done that. I don't know if this is an option for you?

I hope that this makes sense and that some of that helps. Ultimately you have to make these decisions yourself, but I personally think that knowledge is power. From my experience, I also learnt that you never truly know what you will do when you actually find yourself in such a position.

Good luck with your pregnancy and try to enjoy it. I always feel sorry for my friends who fall pregnant for the first time since we lost Ava as they worry so much more than they ever would have done. X

So sorry to hear about what happened to your family MyAngelAva.

Thank you Mountain x

I would always have a nuchal scan as I did not have one with my first child and it was discovered he had Patau's at the 20 week scan. There is much more chance of finding out earlier if you DO have the scan, despite the fact that there is still a statistical risk.

If I could afford it I would have the Harmony test but it is £750 here.

Thank you ladies for your kind posts. myava and humphrey thank you for sharing your stories it reminds me how fragile life is and how much of a miracle babies are.

I have discussed it again with DH and we have agreed that we would be unlikely to terminate so are opting out of nuchal test. Because of dc1s condition a consultant will be carrying out our scans so will hope that he will let us know if anything seems not as it should.

You're welcome. You may even be able to request additional scans (due to your DC1's condition) if you are concerned and want them for reassurance further down the line. Because of Ava's condition I was offered 2 additional scans on the NHS to check my youngest daughter's heart and growth (as these are soft markers for many chromosomal disorders) during her pregnancy.

Wishing you all the best x

I have friends who have children with Downs Syndrome and they were offered additional scans as reassurance but as DC1 has an unheard of condition it does not fall into the "correct category" to qualify for additional scans. Was really put out last time but not going to let it stress me out this time round, I am determined to try and enjoy my last pregnancy. Will be watching the screen closely though tomorrow! Thanks again for your help x

I had the Nuchal test last time and it came back with odds of 1:2100, I was 22 so not "high risk" for a pregnancy with disabilities or anything like that. We were very lucky that dd was perfectly healthy. I wouldn't test Again though as I think we would keep the baby regardless. If there was a really big problem then it would most likely be detects on one of the scans. My aunt and uncle sadly lost a baby just before I became pregnant with my second child, their baby had Edwards syndrome and thy had to make the terrible decision to terminate at 21 weeks. They have since had a healthy baby boy.