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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Nuchal fold worry - Please help

36 replies

bamboo · 08/03/2005 15:06

I've just come back from my first scan. The sonographer measured the nuchal fold and was a bit concerned. She dashed off to find one of the consultants but he was delivering a baby so wasn't available. She's booked me into his clinic for another scan on Friday morning - said she wouldn't use any other consultant because some of the others were rubbish . So, here I am all worked up. She said the measurement she was getting could be because I was having a relatively late scan (I'm 16 weeks), also said the machine was the worst one for measuring that sort of thing! And the baby wasn't lying in a v. good position. So what next? Was quite upset at the hospital but feel much better now I'm home. I have a younger brother with Downs so it's not anything I feel particularly scared about but understandably I'd rather Friday's scan didn't confirm any abnormality (I hate that word - my brother is quite normal in my eyes but can't think of a better way to phrase it). I'm just a bit mad at being put through the mill by health professionals. During my first pregnancy a midwife rushed me in for an urgent scan because she detected an irregular heartbeat but when I got to the hospital the next day, after a night of worry, the midwives couldn't believe she'd sent me in as they wouldn't have expected the baby's heartbeat to be regular at that stage .

Should I be worried? Any advice, anyone?

Oooh I feel so naughty using mumsnet before 6pm but it is extreme circumstances.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Pamina3 · 09/03/2005 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SilverLining · 10/03/2005 12:11

Thanks Hub2dee - over vomiting and yes, still have a huge smile on my face! If I could just crack the getting up in the night for a wee thing I'd be a happy girl (oh and my 3 year old go to sleep more, and my DH be more help round the house ....am I sounding ungrateful??!!).

Sorry to steal your thread bamboo - will be thinking of you tomorrow!

SL x

milward · 10/03/2005 12:28

Bamboo, sorry to hear of the difficult time you're going through with the nuchal scan. I've been there & I'm going through this at the moment. With my 3rd I had a nuchal scan at 11 wks that was 5mm. Didn't have the blood test as result so off the scale. Had a cvs which showed major probs & then an amnio at 14 wks. Got results after a week saying that all looks ok but had to wait for 4wks to get full results. In fact it was confined placental mosaicism so baby was ok. I had to have detailed scans every month & had didn't in fact get the all clear until the day before I gave birth. Loads of stresss here.
As far as I know the nuchal scan is only valid until 14 wks or so (could be less than this?). Have you had any other tests that would give better info? For downs have you had the blood test (is it around 12 weeks or so)that gives a risk value? The amnio gives downs result with complete confidence (I think that if the amnio doesn't show downs then there wont be downs - but could be wrong here??)
At the moment I'm waiting for the results of a blood test that will be combined with the info from the nuchal scan I had last week. It was 2.4mm at 10 weeks. Have you got anyone that can go with you for you scan this friday? I have a detailed scan next tuesday. I'll have my two smallest dds with me and I'm so happy they'll be there as I'll be able to concentrate on them & not look at the scan. I'll just listen to what she says. It is a difficult time for you and I hope that you get the answers you want - ask all the questions that you want & get them answered. Wishing you all the bestxxx

bamboo · 10/03/2005 16:41

Thanks hub2dee - that has made thngs a bit clearer in my mind.

Milward - sounds like a bit of a stressful time for you too. I'll have dh with me at scan. Interesting what you say about having dds with you - my initial thought after my scan was I was sooo pleased dd wasn't with me but perhaps you're more inclined to hold things together if you know you have to, for their sake.

Hope all goes well for you on Tuesday. I'll update on Friday when I have some news.

OP posts:
bamboo · 11/03/2005 12:06

Hi all,

Just returned from my scan - feel so much more positive than after Tues. The consultant took a measurement of 5.6mm. Though he said optimum time for the scan would have been 11-13 weeks he didn't seem to have a problem with relying on the measurement he'd taken. There didn't seem to be any other pointers - heart, bowels - from what he could tell were OK.

Basically he said the risk factor had increased 10-fold to 1 in 40. I guess that's all I wanted to know - everything in life carries an element of risk, doesn't it? I won't have the amnio and am going back for a more detailed scan at 20 weeks and a further scan after that to check on the heart.

Thanks everyone for your concern and advice

OP posts:
hub2dee · 11/03/2005 15:07

I am glad you are happy with how things went, Bamboo.

As you say, even your adjusted risk profile gives a 97.5% chance your baby will not have a chromosomal abnormality, so focus on that, and enjoy your pg.

I would say to any mammas-to-be in similar situations to make sure your consultant is very experienced at nuchal scanning, and would also suggest asking about nasal bone visualisation, which can be a good indicator the fetus doesn't have Down's. If your risk profile gives you cause for concern I would repeat that a Combined Test (where they asess free beta HcG and PAPP-A in your blood to modify the risk profile) might help to clarify things one way or the other.

Marina · 11/03/2005 15:15

hub2dee, you sound like a wonderfully well-informed person to have around in these circumstances
Bamboo, glad you are happy with the outcome of your scan. We declined all invasive testing despite my being way older than you are now as we did not feel we would have any problems with DS and the anomaly scan and nuchal results reassured us re Patau's, Edwards etc. Missed your earlier posts - what on earth was your sonographer on FGS!
Best of luck with the rest of the pregnancy.

hub2dee · 11/03/2005 16:23

Maybe I should rent myself out ?

I only post because it seems to be an area where there are significant differences in how it is handled from hospital to hospital (some don't offer nuchals, some don't offer Combined). Also, there seems to be a miserable lack of clear information for parents outlining their options, and explaining about the reliability / fallibility of the various tests etc.

If anyone is desperately interested in the ins and outs of the latest research / suggested best practice for nuchal scanning, there is a fabulously long and detailed (but very well written) document on the subject available on the Fetal Medicine Centre's Web Site . Just click on the link where it lets you download the course text.

Marina · 11/03/2005 16:44

I thought NICE were tackling the patchy availability of nuchals, hub2dee. I agree it's a disgrace - we have had many Mners on here over the years trying to source this scan privately at a cost to them of £££. Where I live it is freely available and my hospital was helping King's gather data on the "improved" nuchal with nasal bone measurement too.

SilverLining · 11/03/2005 17:33

Good for you Bamboo - glad things went well and you are feeling a lot more reassured! Hope the remainder of your pregnancy goes just as well!
SL x

milward · 14/03/2005 22:25

Bamboo - hope your scans go ok. Wishing you & family all the best with this xxx

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