Is a screening for Down's syndrome ...

[KeepOnPloddingOn]

Generally correct? I know occasionally there can be blips and false positives ... But generally is a high result a positive? I have a 1:27 chance of dc having downs. I have read conflicting info, but some say that getting such a high result generally suggests ds is inevitable - as the screenings are not 100% and a very high result should be taken as a highly likely.

I know this may sound confusing sorry, I am no expert on all this- I have been researching lots and as there are no answers as to why some Get such high results if baby doesn't have downs. So I am starting to believe it means in most cases a very high result such as mine is a 'more than likely' ...

For me it was my bloods giving me this high positive. The nt was 2.10- normal. I am mid twenties.

A result of 1:150 or less is considered high risk by the way. I think if I had a 1:100 it would be different - but our screening was relatively very high ...
Aibu to believe that thiS 1:27 Is not a diagnostic, but a pretty cert dc will have downs....? Any feedback would be appreciated.

I asked about this when I had amnio. They said that the risk was 1%. However, I then asked how they knew whether a miscarriage was caused by the amnio or would have happened anyway. I was told that all miscarriages within x period (can't remember how long it was) after the amnio are counted as caused by it. Although they stuck very carefully to saying that the risk was 1%, if you removed the baseline risk (and bear in mind that lots of amnio tests are done on older mothers, who will have higher underlying miscarriage rates), the actual additional risk was probably far, far lower than the 1%.

I was also told that the ability to do the test under constant scanning and listening to the heartbeat was a big improvement. My consultant was very cautious of saying anything, but the MW said that, in her experience, the pregnancies where there were no signs of foetal distress during the process were far less likely to go on to have complications afterwards.

HTH a bit.

I have been assured the risk of miscarriage is minute and have often read and hears it is less than 1 in 100.

When I had mine the doctor who performed it said those figures were out of date and it's now a lot less than 1% and she has never known an amnio to cause a miscarriage. She said if the baby was in a risky position they wouldn't do it until it was safe.
It was the best decision for me as it was a definite answer and put my mind at rest.

A good friend of mine had an amnio at 19 weeks with a top high risk doctor who was experienced in amnios in the US and lost her baby as a result. Yes, she was extremely unlucky but if you're "the one" who loses their baby, you have to live with it basically. It isn't pretty. I've seen many other women on antenatal testing forums lose babies to CVS and amnio in my time too. It's not an impossibility even if the risk is vanishingly small.

I knew I couldn't live with it, which is why I waited it out with DC3 with a 1 in 34 as I wouldn't terminate regardless. I say wait it out - I waited until 32 weeks then had a late safe amnio where the risk of loss becomes a risk of preterm labour. That's a pretty decent option for people who don't want to risk the baby and wouldn't terminate, but it's a long stressful wait!

I had Harmony for DC4 (it wasn't available before) and trusted in the research that the negative result was correct, despite my NT screening this last time of 1 in 5. It was correct - DC4 is 4 months and typical.

There are occasionally false positives but false negatives are pretty much unheard of for T21 at least. And it is very unusual to have high risk at NT screening for T21 AND T13/T18 - the blood markers are very different. So if you screened high risk for T21 and Harmony was negative you can be almost certain your baby does not have T21, T13 or T18.

It's a personal choice - everybody is different in their attitudes to risk and dealing with consequences. Harmony is fantastic because it gives parents another, extremely decent option especially with T21.

Hmm , crispy I do see what you mean.

I am concerned stress and anxiety of the unknown could cause a ms though, tbh. I believe the risk is minimal enough for me to take - as millions do.

Hi keep, I had a CVS yesterday and it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought. The wait for the results is worse. My hospital told me that they do them so often that the risk of having a mc after CVS/amnio there was more like 0.5%. I felt it was worth taking the risk now at 13 weeks so that I can prepare myself for what may or may not come. It is a very personal decision though.

Good luck for your amnio x

Thanka so much September. I will be 13 and a half weeks when I get mine next week. I did have a go last week but they couldn't get to the placenta. I hope this week they do.

I think I am in agreement with you actually. Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Really appreciate it.