I don't know whether to have the triple test and I have to decide this weekend (15 weeks today)

[MamaG]

I'd like to be prepared as much as possible, but my MW blinded me with science a bit re the triple test and ended up sort of saying that the results weren't reliable at all.

I decided whether or not to have it by considering whether I would be prepared to have an amnio should the results come back high risk.

Hmm yes good point. Its a hard decision isn't it? With my other two, I had no hesitation in not having the tests, but with two other children to consider, I feel I need to prepare for things more

I also decided based upon whether I was prepared to go through with an amnio. Also, bear in mind that even a 'low risk' result isn't fallible - ie you could be the 1 in 1000 as opposed to the one of the 999.
Does that make any sense at all?!

i did the same as fallenmadonna.. you need to bear in mind you might get a high risk which could be to do with dates being inaccurate and your age and all sorts of things

also you need to remember that low risk is not the same as no risk. so even a low risk result does not guarantee your baby will not be affected by smething.

if you are high risk, then you might need to think about an amnio and the risks/benefits of that..

so it can be opening a can of worms.

or you look on it as a test to tell you if you are high risk and if so, you take no further action but are forewarned something might be an issue

it is a big decision, you are absolutely right to think aboiut it

I had decided not to, but now 15 weeks is here I'm feeling almost panicky at not doing it and wondering if I'll regret it.

I don't know if I could go through with an amnio, which rather defeats the object of the triple test I suppose.

well, quite, mamag.

if you would not have an amnio, then the test is merely an indication of low or high risk. and what would you do with that indication>

MW gave me the impression that results were worthless really.

God I don't know! I think I need to focus on the amnio side of it.

I'm 33 with no family history of anything, but I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything!

I had an amnio in my first pg after a high risk result from the triple test that turned out to be a false positive. The amnio wasn't too bad (pain-free, v quick etc) but the whole experience was enormously stressful. I refused the triple test in my next pg and will do so again in this pg, though my area now offers nuchal fold so I don't feel it's necessary anyway. Clearly I don't feel that I can rely on the Triple test and many health trusts no longer use it becasue of its (relatively) high false positive rate.

So, no good advice to offer I'm afraid, it really is a personal decision. The charity Antenatal Results & Choices has lots of good info on this subject. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks staranise

I think I just had a bit of a wobble.

I'm not going to do it as I couldn't go through with teh amnio.

Thank you very much for the support

My last trust only offered triple test.

I really don't like this test, from a statistical standpoint.

I declined it both times.

This trust offered CUBS - nuchal scan + blood test.

I went for htat instead, but it was done earlier.

I wouldn't have had an amnio had the results come back high risk, but they came back low.

good stuff !

I had amnio with my first and the triple test with my second. I think the thing that really made me decide was that 95% of parents who had a downs child took amnio for their second (if they had one).

Of course your test is more than likely to be absolutely fine.

Where on earth did you get the 95% figure from Rocky? I know more parents of children with SN who didn't have invasive antenatal testing in subsequent pregnancies than those who did.

MamaG- I had the triple test because it's quite reliable at picking up anencephaly (which could have been confirmed with a scan). I knew going into it that that was the only result I was interested in, and we knew that we would not have an amnio whatever the results. (We felt there was no point having amnio- ds2 and ds3 were at such high risk of autism which can't be tested for and I wouldn't test for anyway that finding out about things like DS- which in terms of independence -is usually less severe than ds1's disability would have been pointless).

MamaG You might still choose the triple test even if you wouldn't have an amnio/ terminate for abnormalities etc.

I had it without really thinking about it and it came back (on Christmas Eve) with a 1 in 13 chance of spina bifida (+ the chance of anencephaly, abdominal wall defects and various other problems), when the hormones are unusually high/low in the opposite direction for chromosomal abnormalities.

They don't usually do an amnio in that case anyway as it carries a much higher m/c rate than if they think that the baby has a greater chance of having a chromosomal abnormality. So I had a series of detailled scans with the consultant instead of the usual quick job with the sonographer. As it happens, they didn't pick up on DS's problem as it was one of the less serious and rarer things that causes this blood test result, but had they spotted it they would have been able to treat him more promptly if he'd needed immediate treatment (most babies with DS's problem do).

There are quite a few problems that can be picked up on a detailed anomaly scan after an odd triple test result, notably heart problems, but also quite a few others, that can give you/ them the forewarning to sort out immediate treatment at birth. You can also go for detailled scans rather than an amnio for any other concerns they might pick up with blood tests - amnio is not the only 'next step' if the test results are unusal. For those reasons, I'd have it done again.

The experience was, however, amazingly stressful and many of the other things the triple test might warn you about can also be picked up on the 20 week scan.

Thank you crimp - I will mull it over tomorrow

i had it with my last dd and came back high risk she was no7 between us so needed to know, had amnio and she was fine but it was a bad 2 weeks and was not sure what we would of done if the result was diff