Nuchal fold combined test -low risk result that feels too high.

[Babylonmood]

I just got my results back -1:1500. I am 37.

So it's low but it doesn't feel low. I want a retest or something. I don't want to risk a miscarriage. Has anyone any experience of this?

Has anyone here had a "low risk" result then go on to have a baby with DS?

tia

That is low risk. Any 1:*** result means that there will be a risk, even if it is a tiny one.

That is definitely low risk. The cutoff for low here is 1:150 so yours is way, wayyyyy lower than that. As hazey says, there is always a tiny chance - your result could be 1 in a million and you could still be that 1 - but I really wouldn't worry unduly about it. The fact that you are 37 means your risk factor was probably higher automatically so nuchal fold measurement & bloods must have been really low risk, if that makes sense!

Ring ARC they are very reassuring. It's only a screening test so you could have a low risk score but still be the 'one'. For your age though the odds are great. Mine were 1 in 250 and baby was fine.

Try not to worry.

There will always be outliers. That's why you get a risk rather than an absolute diagnosis. So yes, with 1 in 1500 that does mean one of those 1500 will have DS. But compare that to the usual rate for a trisomy for your age group, which, IIRC is 1:100, and you have a very reassuring result.

If you're still concerned would funds allow a Harmony test or similar? More accurate though, again, it'll not give you a definitive diagnosis.

Thanks. I know it's technically low risk but being that one in 1500 is not unlikely enough for me. I am looking into the harmony test but I'm a bit confused by it as it is not diagnostic so I may just end up with more probabilities I'm not comfortable with. Anyone got any insight into harmony?

That's is low risk, have you considered the harmony test? That is non invasive.

It seems to vary hugely depending on blood results etc, last time at age 30 I was 1 in 800 and something. My dd is fine. This time I am almost 37 and my result came back at one in thirty thousand! It's basically a Mathematical calculation, based on age, weight, ethnicity, bloods and measurement from the baby. Everyone has some risk.

If there is an issue they will also maybe see soft markers? At the twenty week anomaly scan.

Ultimately there are no guarantees even once baby arrives issues can show up years after birth.

If you are very anxious about this do talk to your midwife.

I had a harmony test done. I was going to go for nuchal testing but baby was too small on the day so I went for Harmony instead. The doc was surprised I hadn't just gone for Harmony in the first place if the cost wasn't a factor as she said it's so much more accurate.

But yes it is still not totally diagnostic. However the likelihood of it being wrong is very very small- I think if it says you don't have DS/T13/T18 then it's vanishingly unlikely you will.

It presents you on a band of risk (low or high) as well as giving a 1 in whatever figure. It can also look for sex chromosome abnormalities and can tell you the sex of the baby.

Sadly mine came back as very high risk for T13 (right at the top of the risk scale) while being low risk for DS and T18.

I had an CVS which confirmed all of those findings.

So in my experience I am very grateful to that test, despite the sorrow it brought.

I'm sorry. That is sad.

I guess the cutoff between low and high risk seems pretty arbitrary and set quite low. So I would be very unhappy with 1:200.

I'm worried the harmony test would just tell me again I'm low risk but I won't believe it

Do you know what the harmony test low/high risk cutoff is?

I think you need to address your anxiety over this, rather than looking for further testing. Unfortunately there is no way to completely eliminate risk when having children. It is a terrifying time. You are very very low risk though. Why are you dwelling on the tiny tiny chance of DS, rather than the overwhelming odds that your DC won't have it?

FWIW OP, I was the same age as you when I was pregnant and my 'low risk" result was 1:190. DS is absolutely fine.

I agree. Agonising over risk factors will just add so much stress, because there will always be something.

I was scanned and scanned during all my pregnancies, and had a lot of testing - partially due to complications I had had in an earlier miscarriage and partly due to a family history of a complication incompatible with life. As it turned out my Ds is disabled, with a condition which wouldn't have shown up in any diagnostic testing or scans.

There really are no guarantees, and I do think we all need to consider how we would cope with disability when we think about having children.

I'm sorry you are so worried about this, and hope you can try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.

Thanks for the replies.

Hi,

I'm 37. Mine were all in the tens of thousands but my doctors still wanted me to go for harmony but I decided I was happy with those odds. I'd waited 3 agonising weeks for those I didn't want to go through that again. Did have a more detailed private scan though.

The Harmony test will usually give you a result of 1:10000 or high risk.

Low risk is the best possible outcome. They can't tell you there's 'no risk' because there is always a risk and they don't want any comeback.

My test was low risk many years ago and my baby was fine. Stop worrying.

Our PCT doesnt give a figure for this exact reason. We just get low or high.

1:1500 is really, really low risk. There is always the small chance. At age 35, the risk is 1:400 based just on age - therefore your result is actually way lower than typical for your age group

I believe 1:1500 is about the general likelihood of having a child with DS without any other contributing factors such as blood tests, Nuchal measurements etc. I was 1:80 and all is fine with mine at 34+3 X

Harmony test is pretty accurate, most people get a 1 in 10,000 result or very high risk.

As pp have said a harmony or other nipty test will I've you a very high or very low risk.

Just on stats; I was 1:8000 for T18. Really low risk. I was that one. It really is just a number.