Down's Screening - Been told no point having blood test?

[April2012]

well, because of your age you will automatically be higher risk then if you were 25 and all the blood work came out the same because age does factor in. However, other aspects of the screen and blood work add to the high risk diagnosis. that is why so many women 36, 41, etc...come back as low risk. I came back as low risk (DS 1 in 6000 or something like that), but I am still getting an amnio done.

Blimey, you're braver than me! I've decided I'll only have an amnio if my risk factor comes back at less than 1 in 100. I.e. only if the risk is greater than the possible risk of miscarriage from having the amnio.

I know, but for me I feel I need to know the possible genetic and developmental defects (that I can know via the amnio) before giving birth--even though there is a miscarriage risk. it wasn't an easy decision, and I still go back and forth on it.

 

[Borboleta]

well, because of your age you will automatically be higher risk then if you were 25 and all the blood work came out the same because age does factor in. However, other aspects of the screen and blood work add to the high risk diagnosis. that is why so many women 36, 41, etc...come back as low risk. I came back as low risk (DS 1 in 6000 or something like that), but I am still getting an amnio done.

Blimey, you're braver than me! I've decided I'll only have an amnio if my risk factor comes back at less than 1 in 100. I.e. only if the risk is greater than the possible risk of miscarriage from having the amnio.

I know, but for me I feel I need to know the possible genetic and developmental defects (that I can know via the amnio) before giving birth--even though there is a miscarriage risk. it wasn't an easy decision, and I still
go back and forth on it.

Hello,
I know exactly how you feel. So after getting my blood test result as 1 out of 94 chances of having a ds baby we decided to do the amnio . It was not bad at all. And we got our results 2 weeks later. Baby is fine. It was a long month of being stressed and nervous with the results.
I know a lady that got a negative test result from the quad screening when she was 28 and she had a down baby. Then she got pregnant 3 other times skipped bloodwork and went right to the amnio and babies were fine.
Do it if you feel this is the right thing to do. Stressing during the whole pregnancy is not good either for you or for baby.
God bless you and your little one.

 

[LancyLass]

Do it if you feel this is the right thing to do. Stressing during the whole pregnancy is not good either for you or for baby.

It's difficult isn't it? I'm as equally scared of miscarrying as I am of something being wrong with the baby. I'm going to stress throughout the pregnancy whatever I do!

 

[erikab922]

LancyLass, I think it's so weird that you've been told you have to have everything done at the same hospital. I had 5 to choose from (West Yorkshire) and they said I could change my mind at any time and even have different procedures done in different hospitals.

My PCT offers nuchal scans and blood tests to all expectant mothers and you have to specifically opt out. That's so unfair that you can't get it done, but if I didn't have the option via NHS then I would have had it done privately.

As it turns out I found out today the baby is 1:5 so I'm having amnio on 1 November.

 

[bethaturner]

I would agree with the rest, you have to demand the test .this i a common assumption for women over 35, but as you can see from the rest of the posts they are at low risk as well.
best of luck honey!!!

 

[AngelUK]

I still haven't got my results back yet but I am still agonizing about this. April's post about getting the amnio done anyway made me think again too as I feel like her about wanting to know in advance.
Is it possible to get the amnio done on the NHS even if your numbers come back low risk? My mum really wants me to have the tests done and has found a doctor in Switzerland who has amazing stats for the procedure and mum wants me to come home and have it done there. She thinks the NHS might give me any newbie to do the test! I am sure that cannot be, or can it? I told her I wanted to wait and see my results first but of course they aren't 100%. But since I am having twins I know the risk is higher still so I am seriously starting to have nightmares about this! I am 41.

 

[erikab922]

She thinks the NHS might give me any newbie to do the test! I am sure that cannot be, or can it? I told her I wanted to wait and see my results first but of course they aren't 100%. But since I am having twins I know the risk is higher still so I am seriously starting to have nightmares about this! I am 41.

I'm having amnio on the NHS and it's the actual OB/GYN consultant who is performing the amnio. If they won't give you amnio on the NHS, there is a very good place in London which will do it privately but of course it's £££

https://www.fetalmedicine.com/fmc/ (click on 'Invasive tests')

 

[LancyLass]

LancyLass, I think it's so weird that you've been told you have to have everything done at the same hospital. I had 5 to choose from (West Yorkshire) and they said I could change my mind at any time and even have different procedures done in different hospitals.

Maybe it's to do with the hospitals being part of the same hospital trust? I'm just guessing. I know I could probably change to any of the other hospitals within my local hospital trust (there are three) but it wouldn't make any difference in this instance for me because none of them in this trust do the NT scan.

Is it possible to get the amnio done on the NHS even if your numbers come back low risk? My mum really wants me to have the tests done and has found a doctor in Switzerland who has amazing stats for the procedure and mum wants me to come home and have it done there. She thinks the NHS might give me any newbie to do the test!

The NHS screening leaflet says "If the screening shows that the risk of your baby having Down's syndrome is lower than the recommended national cut-off, we will not offer you a diagnostic test." But whether that means they won't give it to you if you still ask, I don't know. You can but ask! I got the impression from my midwife that you can have the amnio if you want as she said in my booking app't "if you want an amnio I can book that in for you" - but that may be because they only offer the Quad test here and as she said I'd come back high risk on that due to age anyway, I'd automatically qualify for the amnio.

I understand where your mum is coming from. I've been thinking the same thing about my local hospital - if they can't even afford to do NT scans, maybe they can't afford to employ someone decent to do the amnios! If it comes to having to make that decision I'm going to ask for the miscarriage stats for the hospital. It says in the leaflet: "These figures vary slightly from hospital to hospital. If you would like to know the miscarriage rates after CVS or amniocentesis in your hospial, please ask your doctor or midwife."

 

[LancyLass]

P.S. Since not knowing anything when I started this thread, I now feel like I've become an expert on the entire NHS screening process because I've now read so much about it in trying to find the answers to my questions!

 

[AngelUK]

You are right LancyLass I should just ask for the stats. I just hope that hospital stats and the stats of the doctor performing it are the same thing! I dunno why I thought it was a midwife doing the amnio, erika's post reassured me on that. I know how competent and truly hard working midwives are in this country but they still do not have a medical degree so I would have felt a bit insecure trusting my beans to one. I always thought I knew that becoming a mum would be a scary time but wow I had no idea really!

 

[LancyLass]

I just hope that hospital stats and the stats of the doctor performing it are the same thing!

Yeah, I thought the same thing!

I always thought I knew that becoming a mum would be a scary time but wow I had no idea really!

Tell me about it! I'm not sure I could face going through this again.

 

[Sunshine12]

Thanks for the info. Im not confused now! x

Ive decided Im getting an amnio done no matter what the results are so Im not sure if I will just skip the NT scan or not or if they will still do it. Got my first midwife app a week Tuesday so will hopefully find everything out then. x

 

[bethaturner]

Let us know how it did go doll!!xxx

 

[deafgal]

I guess your family history (I'm assuming any disabilities) would increase the odd too. Not fun that your age and family history increase the odds. I wonder if the risk would be lower if it wasn't for age and family history.

 

[LancyLass]

Let us know how it did go doll!!xxx

On reflection I probably won't report back. I had actually made a decision to leave BnB because I found coming across all the bad news too stressful, but I came back on just to ask this question because I was so concerned about it.

I found it very upsetting to be reading a thread to then find it ended it the original poster saying "sorry to report I miscarried" or "it was a missed miscarriage in the end."

I'd hate to put another reader in that position and as I haven't had my 12 week scan there's still the potential for early bad news. So I'm going to say now that I won't report back, just in case (unless I get more misleading or confusing information of course and need to ask you all for your excellent advice again!) Hope you understand.

 

[truly_blessed]

I've only read your first post hun but it's a load of bollox

That was what I thought and I was very specifically told that age alone is not necessarily going to make anyone high risk.

They proved me wrong and themselves right when my risk came back as 1:6300 and I'm 41.

 

[Wantapink1]

I had my DS2 at 36 and wasn't told that I'd auromatically be high risk - I've found being an older mum they scare monger you a bit x

 

[beach9920]

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[babytoes]

Hi... I'm 35, 36 next month. I had my NT scan and my blood tests and I was given a low risk result with a 1:9100 chance.

 

[AngelUK]

Excellent result babytoes, congrats