Nuchal thickness

[bluesky45]

Just had my 12 week scan this afternoon. All looked fine at the time but I've just been reading through the notes and the nuchal thickness is 3.2 (I assume 3.2mm although it doesn't say). This is at 11+4, I thought I was 12+1 but the scan has put me back a few days. This seems high when I've googled (mistake o know!). Is it high? Should I be worried? Had the blood test so waiting on those results in a few days to a week. Any advice or experience welcome!

Just a hopeful bump as I'm fearing the worst...

Haven't had experience of a higher NT personally, but a lot of the risk factor goes on the bloods, age, and personal factors, as well as the NT measurement. It's much easier said than done, but try not to worry until you have your results. If there is an issue, or higher risk of an issue I'm sure the maternity team will get back to you as soon as possible, until then, try to relax, as much for baby as yourself 😍

Yes, it's quit high. My sosnographer said above 3 is usually where they start to have concerns, but ONLY when tied with the blood test. He was also really quick to point out that it doesn't necessarily point to anything bad - sometimes it can be lymphatic drainage issue, sometimes no cause at all is found. Try not to worry until the full results are back. Did they say how long?

A phone call in 4 days if high risk of a letter in 10 days if low risk. I'm so worried but I know what you mean, I need to relax for myself and for the baby. They didn't mention about being concerned at all, I'm replaying the whole thing in my head trying to see if there were any clues I missed at the time that I should be worried. If I look at the scan pic from my first, I can see that this one has a much bigger gap at the back of its neck.

Hi. Sorry you're having this worry. From my experience of having a very high NT measurement (5.8mm) they would have said something if they were concerned. If you're worried though perhaps call your hospitals screening dept - they may be able to give some advice x

Thank you Welshmammy, if you don't mind me asking, what happened after you got told the nt measurement?

We didn't have good news to be honest. Our baby had a lethal skeletal dysplasia but the NT measurement was very very high - much much higher than yours. I remember being told the odds of there being something wrong by NT measurement and the % were massively favoured towards all being well up to something like 5mm (I can't remember exactly as this all happened 2 years ago now).

My point was that I think they would have commented if there were any concerns - they did with us and in fact didn't even wait for the bloods before referring us on x

I'm surprised they didn't talk to you about this. Seems really cruel of them to just leave you. Our first baby had a measurement of 3.8. We were immediately taken to see a consultant and I had a CVS the following day, even before the blood tests, which were rushed through for us. Unfortunately our baby had Edwards syndrome. However - I was also told of babies that had 4 and above and were absolutely fine. Good luck OP x I'll be thinking of you

Thank you for sharing your stories Welshmammy and Leigh and I'm so sorry you didn't have positive outcomes. I don't understand why they would tell me the measurement without any other information to go on. I know I shouldn't google but of course I'm going to! So I've found out for myself that it's a high measurement with nothing else to go on. It's worrying but I'm hoping that if they considered it risky they would have said something at the time! Hoping so anyway.

Hi @Bluesky45, I'm 23 weeks now, at our 12 week scan we were told the NT was 4.7mm.

It was really awful as they made it sound like this was incredibly high risk. I had bloods back and they gave us a high risk probability of a disability, it was actually 1:85 which didn't sound as high as we expected following the scan, but still not good.

We had CVS to screen for abnormalities as the Harmony blood test only looks at the 3 major ones and gives another probability rather than a yes or no answer. Interestingly the following week when I went for this they measured the NT again and it had gone down to 3.6mm.

After horrible few weeks everything came back clear. Had lots of scans since and baby is totally healthy and kicking non-stop.

..I guess the message is, it's so easy to be terrified by a number. But it doesn't always mean the worst case scenario. Just take each day as it comes, babies grow differently.

Good luck!!! xxxxx

Hi, I had similar concerns... I can't tell remember exactly (can tell you later) but I think mine was also 3.2. I got bloods back the same day and the combined outcome was low risk, in the '000's for all three trisomies and I am 34 years old (which puts base risk slightly higher already). I haven't had baby yet but so far all scans have been perfect with no concerns and baby is measuring average for pretty much everything. At 12 week scan they did say they had a concern about a regurgitation of the heart valve however this is apparently very common, especially at King's where I am, as their scans are very very detailed. By 20 week scan everything was looking completely normal and it was simply that the heart was just too small at 12 week scan. They are measuring something the size of a grain of rice so easy to mis-measure by a fraction of a millimetre. But better to be safe than sorry so they had us in for a detailed heart scan just before standard 20 week scan. I'm now almost 26 weeks and all still going well. Try not to worry

Thank you le and Sophie, I'm feeling much more positive today. Hoping to not hear anything this week but if I do then we will have to discuss from there. It's horrible though, I was expecting to be googling double prams and nursery furniture and stuff after the 12 week scan but instead I'm googling high nt measurements and everything that goes with it! Thank you all for sharing your stories, I'll keep you updated when I hear any more.

I’m imagining that as it’s just above they may not see it as a risk. Wait for your combined test, I’d still worried you could get a nipt. Might put your mind st rest as combined test only 70% accurate.

My nuchal was 5.9 combined with fluid around the baby- underneath skin. They told me immediately that it is likely baby has chromosomal abnormality or heart defect. CVS is next step.

I wish you well x

Bluesky, I felt exactly the same, we were in shock and everyone kept calling asking how the scan went and we just didn't want to talk to anyone. It's a horrible time, it really is but try not to take your mind to the worst place.... it's not conclusive evidence yet

xxxxxxxxx

Hi

Just looked at the leaflet I was sent home with - says what happens when your nuchal is 3.5mm or more- so perhaps that’s why they didn’t say anything?

Just a quick one to say my results came back as 1:44 for downs syndrome. Waiting on a call back from the midwife and hopefully getting in to see her this afternoon, depending on dp work. Thanks for all your support and advice so far.

How do you know it's 3.2 if it doesn't say?

Sorry didn't mean to post so quickly. I'm 15 weeks and my nuchal measurement is 4.4mm. We have been given a 1:5 chance of downs/Edwards/pataus. We have chosen not to have the amino so are having regular scans

I can't remember exactly the NT thickness for DS but it was relatively high and combined with my age and the blood results, my risk of Downs came back as one in 25. I had the Iona test and results came back as one in 1,000000. DS is now 6 weeks old and in rude health. He's currently fast asleep on me snoring away.
I know how worried you must be, I've been there. But 1 in 44 is a 2% risk, I hope that reassures you a bit that everything will probably be fine.

Sorry, I meant it doesn't say the unit of measurement and I was just assuming that the number was a measurement in mm and didn't mean something else I wasn't aware of. We didn't have a chance to ask anyone at the time.
We have been in to see the screening midwife this afternoon, they got us in as soon as we were able to get there. She discussed options with us. We have decided not to have any diagnostic tests (the CVS or amniocentesis) as the risk of miscarriage is similar to the risk of the baby having downs syndrome. The final outcome will be the same anyway, finding out will not change what we decide to do. We are going to have an nipt blood test to get a more accurate idea. See how things go. Our risk factor for Edwards and pataus was 1:100000 so that is a relief at least. We are feeling quite hopeful at the moment.
Did anyone have a consultant appointment? We have been told our 16week midwife appointment will now be with the consultant.

@fallingasleepnow have they told you want they are looking for at the scans? We were told the 20weeks scan won't be able to pick anything up to indicate downs syndrome except possibly heart issues which could indicate downs syndrome but equally might not. We haven't been offered any other scans.

Yes, I actually declined nuchal screening so didn't have the blood tests, but the sonographer told us at our 12 week scan anyway about the 4.4mm measurements and we were seen within 2 days by consultants at the hospital. We've declined invasive testing as it won't change the outcome for us and have declined the nipt for the same reason.

The odds we have been given we're 1/5 for downs/Edwards/pataus but they also suspect structural abnormality so we are having two additional scans next week (16 weeks) to look at things like heart defects. It's an awful thing to go through. I'm focusing on the 4/5 chance it will be ok.

Yes, that's what I'm focusing on too. I made it into a percentage and mine is something like 97.5% chance of everything being fine. Just waiting to hear back from some places for the nipt. We've decided to have it so we at least know what to expect. Like you say, it doesn't change the outcome for us either, but we would like to prepare ourselves. We've been told we won't have extra scans unless something else is picked up such as a heart defect. I've got my fingers crossed for you anyway!

Fingers crossed for you too! They sound like really really good odds!

Thanks! We had our nipt last night. Went for the harmony test in the end. It was done at a private clinic but the man doing it is a consultant for the nhs do that was reassuring. He rescanned me and measured the nuchal translucency again which is now 1.6, so it has halved in the last week and 2 days! Got my fingers crossed that it's a good sign anyway. And we will find out the end of next week.