High Risk U/S Due To Age??

[BeachComber]

Hi ladies, at my last appt I was told I would be having 2 ultrasounds, one on the 19th of Sept at the doctors office to check everything and tell us the gender, and then another....a high risk ultrasound, on the 27th, "due to my age".

I just turned 35 in May! My doc actually didn't seem to know why this high risk ultrasound was scheduled. He just said it must be because I am 35. I have noticed so far that he seems to be very "hands off" and the nurses seem to do all of the scheduling for tests and etc.

Anyway, does anyone know what they will be looking for at the high risk ultrasound?

Thank you!

 

[vintage67]

It is quite a wake up call to see "AMA" written on your medical charts! (advanced maternal age)! I was 36 when pregnant with my son, and it made me feel ancient!

They will look for so-called soft markers of various chromosonal disoders. These inlcude checking to see if the baby has a nasal bone, if all 4 chambers of the heart are present, to see if the baby has 3 finger joints in the pinky, as well as various organ development.

Think of it as extra chances to see the baby!

 

[poppy666]

Never had one of those scans had my last lo at 40yrs and im expecting again at 41yrs. All i got was NT scan and bloods taken to check for Downs.

 

[vintage67]

Since BeachComber and I are both in the US, it might just be a different protocol.

 

[poppy666]

Yeah just noticed your both not from UK...

 

[ciarhwyfar]

I had my last one at 39 and this one will be right before my 43rd birthday. Never heard of having a high risk ultrasound due to age. I had a couple of extra ultrasounds this time around due to unexplained bleeding but just the 12 week and the 20 week last time.

 

[BeachComber]

Thanks ladies! It will be great to see baby twice, and also to make sure that everything is developing properly!

 

[seoj]

I am 37- and was never sent for a "high risk" u/s... I'm sure each clinic is different though. Some probably just have an age guideline... I had extra u/s though anyway as we conceived with fertility help. Plus I had the NT scan done through my OB's office at 13wks.

I just looked at each scan as another chance to see our LO grow! It was nice to get that added reassurance so early on.

I'm sure all will be fab!!! Congrats!

 

[animalcracker]

Hey there!

You may have misunderstood (or your Dr. worried you for no reason!) because there is no such thing as a 'high-risk' ultrasound. The ultrasound you are referring to sounds like the Nuchal Translucency scan. This is where they measure the amount of fluid at the back of the baby's neck, take bloodwork, ask you family history questions and also check for the baby's nasal bone.

This formula will then assess your risk for a child with chromosomal abnormalities.

This isn't something that is exclusively given to women over the age of 35. As a matter of fact, in the US, all women are given this ultrasound (if they want it) as it is non-invasive. If your results are concerning, you will then be given the choice to have an amniocentesis or CVS (these are both invasive procedures).

Hopefully this will make you feel better - I am 39 years old, pregnant with my first and my results from the initial Nuchal Translucency scan came back the same as those of a 20 year old woman! A one in over 1200 chance of a child with downs syndrome or trisonomy abnormalities! That was good news for us!

Good luck !

 

[Michieb]

I was given a level 2 US at 16 weeks but that was because my blood work came back as a high risk for DS 1:23 - But uit wasgreat we got to see baby again and find out gender early! I also was told at my first appt - i was a hig risk pregnancy because I am 35 - i was like jeez!!!! Oh well!!! Its all good! Good luck to you!

 

[StranjeGirl]

It's pretty common even if you are not over 35. I *think* that if you are over 35 they push it because it can check for some abnormalities, and I also think that maybe insurance usually covers it if you are 35+. I'm not 100% sure about that, but I do know people who were under 35 who's dr's recommend the scan because it is not invasive and they check to make sure baby is ok and your placenta and cervix look ok Just had mine today.