Nuchal scan - 3.7mm

[tinybubblesinthewine]

Hi,

Had my 12 week scan yesterday and unfortunately the nuchal scan showed up as 3.7mm. I've been advised to go for a Harmony test which I'm booked in for tomorrow.

I am so scared of what the results will be. I know there is a high chance of Down's or a chromosome problem and if they are clear a cardiology issue is likely.

Do any of you have any experience with the Harmony tests or a test result similar to mine?

I had a high nuchal reading for DS.

We ended up having another scan privately with a CVS (before Harmony existed) because the hospital could only do an amnio 4 weeks later; for me, that was too long to wait.

Think of how small these measurements are and how easy it is to get them wrong. When we had another scan, the next day, at the FMC the nuchal measurements they got were far smaller than my scan at St Thomas'. Even if it is high, the likelihood is that all will be ok - odds are on your side here.

Good luck - it's stressful, but try not to let it eat away at you. It's most likely that all will be fine. And you will cope with whatever happens if it isn't. The fear is the unknown.

Hi tiny. I just want to let you know youre not alone, ive been on both sides of the coin. First baby, nuchal was 5.5mm and although a chromsomal problem wasnt the issue sadly it ended in a tfmr as we were told the baby had no chance of survival. 6 months later i was having my 12 week scan for baby number 2, this time the result was 3.5mm, i opted for the amnio and thankfully it was a false positive and now that bean on the scan is a healthy 8 month old dd. I pray this is the outcome for you, 3.7 isnt too far off the upper end of "normal". Do you know your pappa and hcg hormone levels? I found ARC really supportive and informative but please feel free to message here too. for you, its a fucking difficult time but you will get through whatever the outcome.

Hi both and thanks for your messages - so nice to hear your stories.

I don't know my pappa or hcg levels (not offered a test for these yesterday) but could be because I said I could do the Harmony test privately.

SeatOfMyPants - I know what you mean about the wait. I've been told my Harmony results will be 5-10 working days and that seems like an eternity just now.

primaryboodle - it is an awful time isn't it? I was so looking forward to telling everyone today (I know that sounds stupid in the grand scheme of things) but I just feel so sad.

:-(

Also - can you please tell me what ARC is? Thanks!

ARC is a charity aimed at parents who recieve worrying news at scans and offers guidance support and advice for you. They really know what theyre talking about. If, god forbid, the worst happens and you do opt for a tfmr there is a forum you can then access through them for other parents in your position. I was exactly the same as you tiny, it was such a shock. The 4 week wait to the amnio was hellish but the 5 day wait for the results from them were utterly horrific, i really pray its good news for you as i said 3.7 can be worrying but its only 0.2mm away from 'normal' and as a pp said, the measurements are so tiny and the possibility of error is huge.

I had good results on my son BUT i always say this when i say this kind of thread. Fair enough it was quite some years ago, but when my parents were pregnant with me, the test came back 1:5 of me having downs. They obviously advised them to have the amnio which they didnt want to do as it is risky and they had already lost 13 babies before me. But they had it as they wanted to prepare for if i was downs..even the amnio said i would have downs syndrome and my mother was monitored all throughout the pregnancy. I'm perfectly fine, i dont have downs or any other problems:) they get it wrong, odds are everythings fine x

Please try not to worry (I know easier said than done), I have just been through all this - one of my twins was 3mm NT and was given high risk for downs, I also know people who've had babies with 3.5mm NT and were given quite a high risk for down's or a heart defect but neither turned out to be a problem. Some babies just have a higher NT and its normal for them, nobody really knows why.

I did go for the harmony test as it was the only way for me to avoid invasive tests that could harm the twins and I am so glad I chose that route as they are both clear of down's, edwards and patau's syndrome so has prevented me going down the invasive test route.

Once you have any tests done, just take it a day at a time, it's really hard waiting when you don't know what the end result is going to be and nobody can give you the answers you want or need to hear and on top of that you have so much going through your mind about decisions you may or may not have to make etc. but I found distraction and talking was my way through the wait so do anything you can to keep busy.

Thanks all, your positive stories are really helping so much!

I am worried as well if the tests say all is normal then I need to wait until 17 weeks for a heart scan. Not sure if I can get this done earlier elsewhere or if I'll just have a terrible 5 week wait after the Harmony.

I'm being impatient I know, I will need to wait a few weeks for this test first.

tiny my nuchal fold measurement was 3.6mm with dd3 we had the harmony test done and the midwife looking after us told us that from scan pictures and the sonographers report there were no other indicators of anything being wrong but they couldn't be 100% obviously. That 5days wait was pure torture.. but I had the call to say my results were low risk 1/10,000 for all trisomies. The relief was immense, we still had to have a detailed heart scan at 19weeks to make sure everything was as it should be there and again it was fine, my anomaly scan a week later showed she still had a higher end of normal nuchal fold but they were confident that was just the way she was. She arrived at 41+12 @ 9lb 5oz so was just chunky!! She is now 19months and just perfect

Hope you have the same happy outcome we did, I know The uncertainty is just awful. Also there were 5 other couples who had the same news that day we had our scan and all 6 of us had a good outcome, hope that gives you some comfort, will be thinking of you

Ron - wow what a wonderful story - thank you x

Also, i was supposed to put this in my other post but completely forgot haha. My partners brother died of a genetic heart condition that they didnt know about until he'd passed away. My partner and his family had genetic counseling and turned out every male in his family had this gene including my partner. Obviously this worried me when we got pregnant, so we heard a heart scan regardless of what the results came back. The results came back low risk but i still needed the heart scan too just before my 20 week scan, i was told it was pretty dead cert that they would find something because of the family history. They didnt find an anomalies, everything is fine:) like i said with regards to the downs, they dont always get it wrong😊x