Trisomy 18 test results

[ttcEmiy]

I had my downs test done and the results cam back today. I have a 1 in 52 chance of having a baby with trisomy 18. (with my age my results should be 1 in 4,000) It's a genetic disorder worse than downs symdrome. The statisics are really scary. 90% of babies die in the womb, and 99% of the babies born alive die before their first birthday. Anybody have advice or low numbers that want to talk about it?

 

[brooke28]

I have a friends whose baby was born with trisomy 18...she had several deformities that were very visible on ultrasound....Have they told you of any abnormalities???

Also I saw you were having a boy...trisomy 18 is much higher in girls...not many boys are born with it.

 

[Emmea12uk]

1 in 52 is still not massive - that is only like a 2% chance.

Will they do further testing? Do you want further testing?

 

[ttcEmiy]

They didn't find any markers on the ultrasound, so we decided not to do an amnio. I wouldn't be able to mentally terminate the pregnancy (I waited years for this pregnancy) so it will only put me in a tale spin to know.

 

[brooke28]

Hun, I wouldn't worry about it...trisomy 18 would definitely have markers at this stage, and it would also cause the baby to not develop at a normal rate.

I am a nurse, and also have a little one myself, and I was always told that most of the time those tests always come back with a possibility, but not to worry, because they are usually wrong.

 

[Emmea12uk]

I understand. I don't have these tests for that reason.

 

[jodi_19]

I didn't have that blood work done when I was pregnant with my DD, it is optional here. however, at my first ultrasound they noticed "bilateral choroid plexus cysts". My doc told me not to worry as they show up on 1 in 100 babies at this stage in development and although they are sometimes soft markers for chromosomal abnormalities he was sure b/c it was the only marker that she was fine. He told me I would have another ultrasound at a later date to enure they had gone.
Of couse I had to google it as soon as I got home, against my better judgement. It was actually a soft marker for trisonomy 18. I read a lot about it and it was pretty scary so I can imagine how you feel. I did read, as someone mentioned, that it is most prevelant in girls.
If they didn't find any soft markers on your ultrasound then I would try not to worry too much (easier said than done right?) My doctor told me that when there is a legitimate defect there is almost always at least two soft markers visable on a scan.
My DD was born 3 days before her due date and was absolute perfection! Try to stay positive

 

[donna-c-86]

a friend of mine was told her baby was likely to be born with downs as well as other complications (cant remember what the chances were in numbers) as it is something which is her family. she was very distressed about it and it really put a downer on her pregnancy but she went ahead with it anyway and ended up giving birth to a totally healthy and "normal" baby. i hope this gives u some reasurrance x

 

[Emmea12uk]

I just want to give you a hug as I know just how hard and painful pregnancy is when you don't know what is going to happen the moment the baby is born and the future.