integrated test for downs anyone had one too?

[sunshine185]

hi there,

just wondered if any of you ladies out there had the integrated test for downs where they do the nuchal and bloods at 12 weeks then another bloods at 15-16 weeks?

i did, but also did the combined (nuchal and bloods at 12 weeks) with my private ob and the results for both are waaaaaayyyyyy off wish i hadn't done the integrated!

i am assuming most women just do the nuchal or the combined? or none...

your thoughts and experiences pleeeeaaassee!! private ob has reasurred me, but i am still worried!

thanks so much x

Oh dear -I think you just discovered why people do either one or the other! Personally I did the bloods and then an amnio because I'd been told that the combined were flakey!

The only real way to know is the amnio/CVS and it's only worth it depending on your risk levels - I was 1 in 140 so we went for it. Personally I reckon doing what I did and having the expedited amnio results (48 hour results for £100) was better than having to worry about it at 12 weeks (when I was still spending much of my pregnancy with my head down the loo!)

thanks chocolate! my combined came back 1:2395 but integrated 1:120!!!

can i ask how your amnio results came back?

thanks chocolate! my combined came back 1:2395 but integrated 1:120!!!

can i ask how your amnio results came back?

FIne actually - he's a boy - due in six weeks. If it's 1 in 120 you might want to consider having the amnio. If you can afford it - the doctors Laboratory (it's a private service) can send you or your consultant a processing pack and you can pay to get results in 48 hours (versus 10 days). I got mine in 36 hours.

But only have the amnio if you really want to know the result obviously, it's an ethical nightmare. I have a daughter already so I needed to know what we were facing. Frankly I don't know what I would have done if it had come back positive - I have a few genetic probs in my family so it was very much worth knowing what we were dealing with. Obviously if it was some things (not just downs) the pregnancy would have been unviable anyway.

thanks chocolate! thats great it came back negative. was your 1:140 with the combined or integrated test??

with ds who is 2, we had the combined only and results came back 1:1200 and he came out just fine... my combined now are 1:2395 done at the fetal medicine centre in london and by my private ob (has worked nhs up until 10 years ago) who has been delivering babies before i was born and doing scans from when they where introduced!! he rescanned me last week and has stuck by my 1:1200 risk.

my decision on the amnio has nothing to do with cost, more with the chance of miscarriage. we miscarried in december having taken 11 months of ttc, it was devastating and would never put myself at risk given the choice...

anyway, i am pleased your results came back negative. all the best with the rest of your pregnancy and healthy delivery of your baby boy! thanks again for chatting with me.

x

If you're after more information you could ask for a detailed scan at 20 weeks that would look for soft markers.

Sunshine - I had the combined nuchal and bloods and the Fetal Medicine Centre a few weeks back. For different reasons to you I had concerns about my result (low risk 1:5500 but despite this the nuchal measurement was 3.1mm which would have made me high risk if the same measurement had been taken on the NHS).

I was really worred and sought advice of several doctors, ARC, mumsnet and others. Everyone said the FMC is the best in the world. Their risk assessment is based on more sensitive tests and measurements than anywhere else. If they give you a low risk result then you have got that result from the most reliable testing centre that there is. Based on that I decided to trust the FMC risk assessment and try and stop worrying (hard I know!).

Good luck with whatever you decide.

thanks ladies, it was the FMC so will go with them. i hear more stories about the integrated and triple being wrong than the combined! i mean not many women have the integrated/triple and if anyone is reading this i would avoid it!! far too confusing and upsetting, especially if it's so conflicting.

plus i've had another detailed scan by my private ob who see's no problems.. if he did he would have sent me for an amnio...

artichokes, i can understand why you'd be worried with your nuchals, when i had it done with the nhs with ds it was 2.3mm risk was 1:245 for age (34) and nuchals before bloods! hence we went private same as you for the nuchals and bloods. this time round we're at another hospital that seems to do and offer everything!!!