Screening results

[Tiddley25]

Hi all, just looking for some advice please! So to give full details I’m 33 pregnant with 3rd baby and worried about my combined screening results - I am low risk for all three (1:10,000) which I would be over the moon with however in my 2 previous pregnancies both were 1:100,000 and so it’s 90,000 less than my previous pregnancies which has just made me spiral with worry. I am naturally anxious in pregnancy and I know it probably sounds stupid but wondering if it’s my age that has affected the big drop?

1st pregnancy I was 27 (1:100,000)
2nd pregnancy I was 29 (1:100,000)
Current pregnancy I am 33

my blood work and NT are good ( I think) not sure what they should be but from what I’ve read I think my results are good -

HCG (mom) 0.82
PAPP-A (mom) 2.14
NT 1.4mm

i think I’m just looking for some reassurance as to why my results have dropped, I’m feeling like I can’t enjoy my pregnancy since the results as I’m so worried something may be wrong! My 20week scan was all good no soft markers etc and healthy baby. Any replies would be greatly appreciated ♥️

I would likely think it is age. On my last pregnancy I was 32 and got 1 in 25,000. Not had it done yet for this pregnancy. Can you call the number of the letter or your midwife to ask.

Like you said it's still very low risk x

Thanks for your reply! I did call my midwife and she just really shoved off my concerns to be honest, she said low risk is low risk and the numbers are irrelevant, but I don’t think that’s the case as I’ve read a lot of threads where people are low risk and have gone on to have babies with Down syndrome etc so I think she just thought I was being dramatic about it 🤦🏽‍♀️ I’d love to get a clear breakdown of my results and see what gets to that number if that makes sense, If it’s just my age that has increased the risk then I wouldn’t be so concerned! X

It's just your age.....

Your scan and blood tests are all ok,.... so there is nothing to suggest the baby had these conditions.

The baby can still be born with the conditions..... and that could have happened in any of the previous pregnancies

I’ve never know anyone to have results that low. I had my second at 30, I got 1 in 10,000. Now on my third pregnancy at 32, this time I got 1 in 5000. So it’s doubled in two years, only difference is age. Obviously being low risk doesn’t mean there is no risk, so there will always be people that have had babies with Down syndrome. A lot of trusts won’t give numbers now as it causes anxiety. They will just say high or low.

Recently they have changed the reporting standard so they are moving to the ‘lowest reported’ being ‘less than 1:5000’ so you could have a chance of 1:5001 or 1:100,000 and it would still say ‘less than 1:5000’. Not all trusts have changed over yet but they will do eventually.

The chance algorithm takes your age, history (if you’ve had an affected baby before), ethnicity, diabetes status and if you smoke, the biochemistry result and the nuchal fold measurement. All those factors together are used to give you a ‘1 in something’ chance. You can’t always know which factor increases or decreases the chance although sometimes it’s obvious like a very raised NT.

Does anyone know if you can do any desktop tests with no blood tests? I'm trying to work out my risk

@usernamein no the test is done from a measurement of your baby's nuchal fold and markers in your blood.

I am the same as @PickledScrump in terms of ages and numbers. Your numbers are incredibly low OP. However your anxiety is real and sounds like you need support. Please ask for a referral to perinatal mental health. In the meantime you could consider getting the harmony test done privately.

Thank you so much for all your replies, I know I’m being silly and I’m trying to tell myself that! If I hadn’t have had my previous results I wouldn’t have even batted an eyelid at 1:10,000 as I know it’s super low risk I think I just needed some reassurance which I did go to my midwife for but didn’t get really. I did consider a harmony test as I have read they are alot more accurate and if I could afford it I definitely would have one for extra reassurance but we really can’t afford one so it’s not an option at the moment!

You are definitely overthinking it, in no other situation would you see 1 in 10,000 and be worried. You're older, so your risk is always going to increase with age.