# Quad screen in the second trimester



## lilmamatoW

So, I am posting this to encourage some of you who might be having some anxiety over your second trimester quad screen results. It's a bit long, but it's the whole story.

First I am 39 and will be 40 when my second child is born in June. I had my first child when I was 37. I did the first trimester screen with #1 and the results came back great 1 in 20,000 or something for Downs and so no worries. The second trimester quad screen came back with 1 in 10!!! It totally threw me for a loop and there were tears and sleepless nights and tons of internet searches. Well, I am happy to report that my first child, a girl, is beautiful and doesn't have Downs. I had a 20 week level II ultrasound which showed no markers or anomalies, so I was a bit relieved.

With my second pregnancy, I went in to do the first trimester screen at about 13 weeks and 2 days, well the baby measured ahead of dates at 14 weeks and 3 days, so I could not get the first trimester screen done. So along comes the second trimester and I had some second thoughts about getting the testing done as it had caused me so much anxiety the first time. But I did it anyway and thought I had prepared myself with, "well, I am old so I am probably going to get a positive screen just by my age..." The doctor called me a few days later and told me that my screen had returned with a 1 out of 22 change for Downs. So again, I was thrown for a loop, but this time with no first trimester results to offset the troubling second trimester screen results. So, I waited (didn't want any more invasive testing as I had MC last year and didn't want to take any chances), but not without anxiety and tears...as it is a scary time. Well, I had my 20 week level II ultrasound today and found that there were no anomalies and no soft markers. :happydance:

So, if you are experiencing any anxiety or stress over results from the quad screen, please find some encouragement that sometimes that test really does throw some false positives.


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## SabrinaKat

I did the NT/bloods at 12wks and they came back at 1/162 (I'm 44) and the 20wk scan showed 1/300, but no obvious soft markers, etc. (Those were from downs, my other was 1/955) I did ask my ob/gyn about the later blood test and she said that they were not reliable and would completely stress us (in a situation similar to yours), so she didn't recommend....

best wishes


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