Upset by results of Nuchal Scan - need a bit of support!

[mogwai]

I'm 13 weeks pregnant with my second child. When I was pregnant with my first (aged 32) there were cysts detected on her brain at the 20 weeks scan which might have indicated Edwards Syndrome. Fortunately she was fine but I spent the last half of the pregnancy worrying.

This time around I'm older (about to turn 36) and I opted for a private nuchal fold scan and bloods in the hope the same thing couldn't happen again and I might be able to relax.

We had the results last night. My background risk of DS (going by my age) is 1:309 but my actual result was higher at 1:168.

Nuchal thickness was 2.7mm (apparently upper end of normal range). My free HCG was 1.2 (a little raised) and my PAPP-A was 0.56 (a little low). The baby wasn't in a good position to see the nasal bone.

On the positive side, this means I have a 99.4% chance of a baby without down's syndrome but I'm a sort of "glass half empty" kind of person and I can't stop dwelling on it.

We have been offered an amnio but the risks of this (miscarrying) is equal to the risks of DS.

I have my booking in appointment at the hospital tomorrow and the first "official" scan. I'm not sure whether to reveal these findings to the sonographer and ask if she can get a better look at the nasal bone. I also have to attend alone as my husband is on a course, though I have to take my 3 year old, who is off sick with a cold.

Any advice/reassurance gladly received!

bump...anybody out there?

Hi - it's all such a worry isn't it with statistics and probabilities. Big hugs for you. Can't make any suggestions, but if it's going to nag at you I would take the chance to ask the sonographer to have a look. I think the stress of not asking may be more than that of asking.

Yes ask sonographer. But I'd also ask her whether she has a) the experience and b) the equipment to do it accurately.

You could ask about further scans to give more information (read on a thread today about someone who had repeated scans every 2 weeks throughout pregnancy because they thought they were having a baby with DS -(their risk was much higher than yours though)- but they didn't want an amnio or CVS).

Hi mogwai,

I'm so sorry to hear you are worried! I had very similar 'results' to you. The nuchal thickness was 2.6-3.1mm (though officially it was put down as 2.7mm) and my risk was actually 1:63! I was only 31 at that time... I was lucky I didn't do the combined test as when I opted to do the CVS, they took my bloods and realised later that my PPPA was low as well, which would have made my risk a lot worst!

I opted for a CVS and before the CVS, they did a detailed scan to ascertain the position of the baby and they noted that the nasal bone was present (though at that stage, they said it would not alter my risk as such). My DS was born very healthy and is now a very cheeky 9.5-month-old who is on the verge of walking! No advice as it's a very personal thing. If you think about it, at your scan tomorrow, if they give you a low risk, will that put your mind at ease?

I just hope my story will help you. Good luck!

Ax

The risk is still VERY small so it is unlikely that you will have a baby with Down's Syndrome. Edward Syndrome is normally worse than DS.

I would ask at the scan but try not too worry too much.

mogwai I'm sorry that you're having to go through this. I am 24 weeks pregnant and I had a high risk DS result of one in 75.

After a lost of tears and soul searching we opted for an amnio and everything was fine.

I hope that gives you some reassurance. As angel says, it is a very personl thing - we told no-one but our closest family what was happening.

thanks for your messages of support.

I think we've decided against the amnio, just really because I can't reasonbly put a 99.4% normal foetus in harm's way.

It's just so bloody horrible. Everyone in the house has flu to some degree, I'm snowed under with work. Just feel under pressure and tired and this was the last thing I needed.