Worrying 13 week scan (heart chambers and abdomen)

[Cous3003]

At my 12 week NHS scan last week, the sonographer was unable to get the NT measurement as the baby was in the wrong position. They gave me the options of the Quad test or a private NIPT. The midwife didn’t seem overly worried. However, I am particularly anxious and as I have a BMI of 35, I opted for the SAFE NIPT at the Birth Company and went for the scan and blood draw today, at 13 weeks.

The sonographer today was able to get the NT measurement which was 1.5, which I understand to be at the lower end of the bracket. Baby’s heart rate was 157bpm, which again I understand is normal. However, she stated that the ‘4 chamber view of the heart was difficult to assess and unable to confirm equal ventricular filling and offsetting of the valves’. She also noted several small cyst structures possibly in the kidneys or abdomen (she couldn’t determine which) and a suspicion of a single umbilical artery.

The sonographer said this could point to serious defects/condition or it could be nothing, there was absolutely no clarity. She said she could refer to the Portland Foetal Medical Unit, but obviously the costs of their investigations are completely unknown and we’re not in a position to write a blank cheque.

I feel completely blindsided - none of this was raised at my NHS scan and if not for the pre-NIPT scan today, we would be none the wiser. The scan results are so ambiguous. Our next NHS scan is at 20 weeks (standard anomaly scan), but now I am full of worry and genuinely don’t think I can cope like this for effectively 2 months. Any advice or reassurance (or any similar experiences) welcome. I feel like I’m in a state of shock and carrying a pregnancy which is doomed to fail.

I'm sorry you've had such worrying news

I'd ask the private place you went to for their report and take it back to your midwife and request the scan is done again on the NHS

Sorry that you’re so worried. It’s the classic ‘could be something, could be nothing’ that often crops up and makes you feel completely anxious.

These things usually turn out ok, but obviously you need to get it investigated.

Agree with PP about taking this scan info back to the NHS now and getting another scan and referral.

Hopefully they can get to the bottom of it before the 20 week scan. However, the reason they do the scan at that stage is because it’s much easier to identify issues.

Scanning serves a valuable function but it has limitations - it can miss issues that aren’t apparent until the baby is born or can highlight issues that don’t turn out to be anything significant.

I know it’s hard but try not to worry too much. Have faith that baby is ok until you hear otherwise. Fingers crossed for you - please update us.

I’m not a sonographer but I believe the reason the anomaly scan is done at around 20 weeks is because everything is more developed and bigger therefore easier to see. If things are so small atm that she can’t determine between kidneys and abdomen I certainly wouldn’t be paying the Portland to potentially tell you the same thing. I agree get a report and go back to the nhs. Good luck.

Thank you all, I’ve got the report so I’ll try to get another NHS scan or see my GP on Monday. I had thought the same re the anomaly scan; which is why I was so surprised when she said she was worried about not seeing the heart chambers fully at 13 weeks. She said she would expect to be able to see more than she could.

My anxiety is through the roof, the thought of having to make awful decisions when I’m further along fills me with dread. I don’t feel I can enjoy this pregnancy anymore, in case it is the worst case scenario :-(

Hi op I have a bmi of 32 and at my 20 week scan I believe it was slightly difficult for them to see some structures due to my bmi so I was called back few weeks later to recheck and all was done.

I'm really surprised they are saying there is a potential issue this early on the when in fact it would not be clear at all due to being so early and also Body fat of yourself. That's why they wait until 20 weeks for a reason. I would get the report and perhaps to ease your mind book another private scan for around 16 weeks to check so your not waiting so long for the 20 weeks.

Hi - I’m so sorry you are going through this. I think I would contact the FMU /midwives at your NHS hospital with the scan report and ask for a repeat 12 week scan. It is true that it is hard to visualise certain organs earlier than 20 weeks, but our baby’s heart defect was picked up at the 12 week scan by a sonographer and confirmed/ diagnosed by fetal cardiology at 13 weeks, although it’s not always possible to be sure so early. They should be able to clearly see 4 chambers at 12 weeks for example. I am hopeful that the private sonographer was mistaken, but other posters saying it is too early to tell are not correct and I don’t want you to be blindsided if it turns out the private scan was accurate.

I work within cardiology and the specialist fetal cardiac scans would never be done as early as 13 weeks as everything is so small. They see people around 20 weeks, even 18 weeks can be difficult.
Really hoping it's a case of letting your little one grow and get some clearer answers at your 20 week scan. All the best x

@Tiredmum31111 maybe that’s routinely true, but I was scanned at 13 weeks by the fetal cardiology team at the Evelina, St Thomas’ and the consultant was able to diagnose a very significant heart defect. I gather it would be far more difficult to pick up less catastrophic issues but if the heart is in the wrong place or doesn’t have four chambers etc this can certainly be picked up earlier depending on the skill of the team and the scans.

@Leaf86 can I ask if you had a CVS or did they diagnose the heart condition via a scan? We have been referred to the fetal medicine unit at UCLH this morning, just waiting for an appointment. My local hospital has sent me information about CVS/amino and mentioned we may want to consider this before the results of our NIPT as they’re not due for 7-10 days

@Cous3003 We had the scan with FMU and Fetal Cardiology first and the series of defects identified were so catastrophic that we made the devastating decision to TFMR. CVS / Amnio wasn’t needed as the scans themselves gave us enough information. Genetic tests revealed afterward that our baby had normal chromosomes so the CVS / Amnio would not have shown anything. We had a low risk NIPT too and NT of 1.7. I believe that chromosomal issues are the most likely cause of heart defects (at least this is what we were told) so it isn’t wrong to get a CVS/Amnio and our FMU consultant also told us that if other organs had been impacted (in addition to heart) then he would have been more suspicious of a chromosomal problem. Best of luck for your scans and tests and I’m really hoping that your private sonographer was just incorrect and couldn’t get a proper view. X