Downs screening results

[Beee]

Hi ladies, haven't posted on here for quite some time. I am 15 weeks along with my second baby. Got my downs screening result back today at 1 in 260. I am 29. My result last pregnancy was 1 in 2800. Nuchal fold measurement was 1.4mm so I am wondering why the risk has come out so much higher this time.

Advice/experiences would be much appreciated

Xx

 

[SonAmyMom]

The blood test measures different hormones or proteins in your blood, and only indicates risk. There are a lot of things, some not even well understood, that could show a higher risk other than actually having the condition.

For example, with my last pregnancy, I tested high risk for spina bifida. Ultrasounds showed everything just fine, and he was fine when he was born. We never figured out what caused it. In another example, I have an aunt who had her first at about 34, and tested high risk for down syndrome, but her daughter was fine.

I hope that gives you some reassurance. The only way to know for sure is further genetic testing, such as amniocentesis. There is also a test called MaterniT21, which is reserved for higher risk pregnancies - you may want to ask about that, too.

 

[LuxAeterna]

It's a risk assessment. It measures a lot of things, so there are many variables. Depending on the MFM practice, it is considered a screen negative. So your risks aren't very high.

Even if your baby has normal chromosomes, which it likely does, it doesn't mean the results of the screening were "wrong" since it wasn't a diagnostic test. It's simply a screening.

I was 23 when my first son was conceived. He had Down syndrome. My risk assessment with my second son, at age 24, was 1 in 380. It was a screen negative. He does not have Ds. Now, at 29, my risk assessment for the Harmony screening was 1 in 10,000.

There are a lot of variables. Also, Ds is not hereditary unless it's a translocation, which only account for a few % of Ds cases. The majority are the result of a random event at conception. It's not about one's health or even family history apart for the very small % of translocation cases.