Nuchal test results -- different for each pregnancy or the same?

[delilah88]

If you have the same partner, are the results for downs risk etc. more or less the same (adjusted to age) or do they change completely pregnancy to pregnancy?

I think they change because the risks are calculated against your age and also I think on other hormones that you produce.

The nuchal test uses ultrasound to measure the thickness of the skin fold at the back of the babys neck, so very different each pregnancy. The blood tests are added to the formula to come up with the probability, again very different each preg.

They will change because of age certainly. That said, the test changed between my first and second children, such that it became much more accurate. My risk therefore actually went down with age (but not really - just the test was better).

I had a very, very low risk for first baby and am wondering if I am likely to be similarly low risk for second, or if it could all change to high risk...

It's a risk specific to the baby, rather than to the mother, so will likely change with each pregnancy.

it is specific to the baby so it is likely to change from pregnancy to pregnancy - otherwise there would be no point repeating the test for subsequent pregnancies.

That's an interesting question, a lady we see at work had two children born with Down's syndrome, one with serve learning difficulties (her words) and one child who had no disabilities which did make me wonder how likely this sort of thing would be ?

The nuchal test is specific to the baby, however it is not definite. It it is more along the line, most embryos with downs have a greater nuchal fold measurement than embryos without. However it is not that uncommon to have a high measurement inbabies who dont have downs. A diagnosis of downs itself says very little about the ability of the specific baby. There usually is developmental delay and learning disability but the degree can vary significantly. Also what many people dont realalise is that the vast majority od downsbabies are miscarried or stillborn (80%).

My two were very different. 1 in 23,000 first time, aged 31. Risk of 1 in 2,000 second time aged 33.

Mine have got a lot better as I got older (22 now) but my first pregnancy at 17 was 1 in 850 (no nuchal fold scan) my second at 20 was 1 in 2200 (nucal done) my current pregnancy is 1 in 22000, I'm with same person

Thanks all, particularly last two posters (Babyroger that's the kind of difference I will be looking at -- do you think it was because of your age?)

I had 2 very diff results, 1st pregnancy was very low risk. 2nd pregnancy I was very high risk, 1:95. I was 37 with first preg and 40 with the 2nd so age was a factor with re 2nd but not to that extent I would have thought. The first time no nuchal fold measurement was taken (not done as NHS standard then), just bloods. The 2nd was combined nuchal measurement and bloods. Nuchal measurement was tiny so it was down to the bloods. I ended up having an amnio and thankfully, all was fine. I am with the same partner too btw.

Unless you are going to have the same baby in both pregnancies, it is not reasonable to expect nuchal measurements to be the same.

I was very low risk with dd1 (37) -nt
High risk with dd2 (38) -nt
Very low risk with ds (41) - has a very rare genetic condition, not picked up in pg.

I had private scans with all 3, with combined scan and blood test, and they all have the same father.

Just a word of caution with the tests though, both my babies were in the wrong position to be scanned and refused to move.

Yes ok so it seems quite random. I had meant nuchal combined screening in my post title rather than just nuchal fold. I realise the size of neck of two babies won't be the same!
I am not even pg again just remembering how stressed (and then relieved) I was and wwondered about next time.

Definitely it's per pregnancy and would possibly change.

Me:

Pregnancy 1: combined and Nt odds 1:2
Amino clear, scans revealed an incredibly minor heart defect which we think caused the high result.

Pregnancy 2: combined and nt odds: 1:17358

So very different indeed!

Good luck. Having had such a terrifyingly high result with Ds1 I was bricking it going for my scan this time around. Such a relief to get the low odds! :)

I really don't know why the big difference OP. It seemed a big jump in 2.5 years. The higher risk one, though, was still very low (and much lower than the average risk for my age).

The nuchal fold for both babies was 1.5mm - not sure why I had such a big difference

Incidentally, neither baby had any chromosomal issues.

1st baby, at 37, 5 years ago- 1:4,000

2nd baby, at 40, 2 years ago- 1:10,000.

I was told the difference was due mainly to improvements in interpretation.