Low PAPP-A Result

[ReginaaPhalange]

13+6 and had my screening results in yesterday which shows edwards/patau's syndrome as 1:7500 and Down's syndrome 1:697, however, on my maternity notes app, it says Low PAPP-A letter sent. I've had no phone call and my levels are showing as 0.33. I didn't know what it was so googled and looked on the nhs page and immediately got a bit anxious.

I don't have my 16 week appointment for another couple of weeks so might call my midwife on Monday but I'm really worried about this.

Can someone who has this or had with a previous pregnancy shed some light about it and your outcome please?

It affects 5% of all women, in our area were offered extra growth scans, but can still follow a low risk pathway. I was asking a midwife about it today

I currently have this, please don’t stress too much it’s very common. Likely to be offered growth scans. My baby is measuring ahead so it doesn’t necessarily mean a small baby! You may be prescribed aspirin but I wasn’t. Good luck with your pregnancy x

I had it with my son. I got given regular growth scans to check baby’s growth stayed consistent and talked about possible induction at 40 weeks, I didn’t get that far (baby came naturally 39+3)
Midwife told me it basically just means towards the end of pregnancy your placenta MAY not be as efficient so they might induce and your baby MAY be a bit smaller.
My boy was born 7lb12 and midwife commented that my placenta looked fine when it came out 🙂
Just means they’ll keep an eye on you!

Thank you both for the replies. I'm trying not to worry or google anything! Hopefully speak to my midwife next week

Same as pp. I had it in 2 pregnancys both extra growth scans both induced. One was 7lb 8oz and the other was 8lb 2oz so good size babies. It was nice seeing them in the extra scans

How does aspirin help with feotal growth?

Asprin is used because low papp a can be linked to high blood pressure.

I have low papp a (0.22) and will have extra scans from 28 weeks.

So there is a correlation not causation with low birth weight, placental dysfunction and potential FGR. But this is correlation not causation. Typically you’ll be offered extra growth scans from 28 or 32 weeks. On Monday give your midwife a call and ask about aspirin, it’s recommended for low Papp-a and/ or previous low birth weight babies, although I have heard some trusts not act on this. The dose tends to be 150mg taken at night. If necessary you can just buy it over the counter. You tend to take it up to 36 weeks xx

I had low Papp-A was low, I googled it and worried. Best not to google it.
I had regular growth scans from 28 weeks as it can cause low birth weight. I had a healthy 8lb11

I wouldn't worry about it. There's just a higher chance of having a small baby but in the majority of cases there'll be no issues and even if you have a smaller baby then that's not necessarily something to worry about. I had low pappa and my baby was always larger than average in the scans and he was born at 8lb5. I liked getting the extra scans to see the baby.

I meant to add that you should ask your midwife if you should take aspirin. My midwife said to me that I should have been on it but she'd forgotten about it (not the most attentive midwife) but luckily in my case it was fine without it.

Just to add to the similar comments above, I've also got low PAPP-A and my midwife said nothing to worry about and they don't recommend aspirin. Though I'll get extra scans for the same reasons as described already.

Definitely don't google as it's all doom, not helped in my case by the hospital midwife we saw after the initial blood results (because they also indicated high risk of downs for me) saying just to ignore it for now so you only deal with one stressful thing at a time. That's not how my brain works! But the community midwife was relaxed about it and said it can be quite common with ivf which I did.

@OM82 why don’t your hospital recommend aspirin, did she say? I thought most did?

My hospital don’t even check it for some reason but all the community midwives I’ve spoken to have strongly disagreed with that position. Xx

@nc4post99 no, I didn't really get much/any information at all but I had read about that so did ask specifically. I might raise it again when I see a different midwife!

I've got low Papp-a and am now 32 weeks (second dc). My level was 0.39 so I have a growth scan this week, another at 36 weeks and another at 39 weeks. I wasn't prescribed aspirin and midwives were pretty clueless about it all. It was the consultant appointment at 28 weeks that gave me the relevant info I wanted.
I have also been booked for induction on my due date (but I'm going to postpone this all being well with the scans).

I have noticed I have swollen ankles more often this pregnancy when I overdo it but generally my blood pressure has been lower than usual. I haven't yet noticed any other difference with my first pregnancy.

Good luck op.

I wasnt told to take aspirin either, something along the lines of “some trusts recommend aspirin but we don’t here” no idea why!

I’m currently 35 weeks pregnant and have been on 150mg paracetamol since 16 weeks and had extra growth scans from 28 weeks. I’m growing a chunk of a baby and there haven’t been any issues at all. Try not to google!!

Not to worry you but I had low PAPP-A with my last pregnancy and it did affect my baby’s growth quite a bit. I also took baby aspirin throughout. She consistently measured under the 0.5 percentile for growth and I was having bi-weekly scans from 24 weeks. About 32 weeks I was given steroid injections to prepare for her to be born early. In the end I managed to keep her in until 38 weeks and she was 5lbs 2 (I think the steroids gave her a boost as her growth suddenly jumped) but perfectly healthy apart from jaundice. She’s still slightly small for her age but no other health problems. Good luck with your pregnancy.

Thanks all.

I'm waiting on my midwife calling me back. I'll update with that is said

[quote OM82]@nc4post99 no, I didn't really get much/any information at all but I had read about that so did ask specifically. I might raise it again when I see a different midwife![/quote]
How far along as you? I think it’s only effective if dosage is started before 16 weeks. If you don’t have a history of bleeding disorders and other things It might be worthwhile just taking it. Up to you but I’d definitely raise it again.

No one ever mentioned it to me with my first either and she measured consistently small. Really felt let down at the time because there was an intervention there. This time I just said to the midwife at booking I know about aspirin should I take it, and she said yes. I had to fight for my Papp a result too, which this time is 0.63 (so normal) but I’m taking it anyway as a precaution.

Midwife called back and advised nothing to worry about. Wouldn't be started on aspirin and I'll have 2 extra scans. She did say that if I haven't gone into labour by my due date, I'll be induced as they won't let me go past my date.

Feeling a bit better about things now