Mat21 results vs. Quad Screening results

stellar77

My Mat21 results came back negative back in late July early August. Two weeks ago my OB ran the Quad Screening tests. I called last Thursday about my feet swelling & asked her if my test results came back. She said they came back 1:114 for Down Syndrome & was going to refer the results back over to the Dr. that did the Mat21 testing. She said she (if it was her) would just ignore the quad screening since the Mat21 came back negative - that the Quad is most likely a false positive.

I called them Thursday in a panic of course, left a message, came home yesterday from an out of town trip to find an appointment letter scheduled for tomorrow.

I called the office this morning and she said I would be having a sonogram.  Oh I failed to mention I had a sonogram with that same specialist/high risk Dr. back on August 16th - he said everything looked good & was releasing me back to my OB unless she saw something she had questioned with that Sonogram.

I'm a nervous wreck. Anyone have any words of wisdom? I didn't tell my husband because the trip this past weekend was to see his family & I didn't want to spoil it for him.

Thanks girls!

LucyRicardo3

From what I've read online and have been told by my perinatalogist, the Mat21 and like tests (I had Harmony) are so far ahead in accuracy simply because it is verifying the actual fetal DNA, whereas the quad screening looks at various proteins, etc in your bloodstream and formulates a possibility based on a logarithm. Therefore the rate of false positives with the quad screen is very high compared to the very minute rate of false results with the Mat21.
So, I would tend to ignore the quad results and go with what your specialist finds. I know that's got to be easier said than done. Hugs!!

stellar77

Thanks, I meant to include in my original post...

Does everyone always get a 1:... chance?

I ask because we went through this same thing with my DD almost 5 years ago. At that time of course Mat21 wasn't available and I ended up having an Amnio which Thank you Lord, came back Negative.

Peanut552

 

Peanut552

Sorry for blank post above.  The Mat21 test is over 99% accurate and it said no T21 for you.  The other test gives you odds....it gives you odds of less than 1% for T21, which sounds consistent to me with the average odds for anyone over 35 (though I haven't looked up the numbers recently).  So you don't have a T21 diagnosis.  You have the opposite -- extremely reassuring results in both cases.  I don't see why you'd panic and hope you feel better soon.

Geeps2

I had the harmony test done at my NT scan and got the results back before I had to go back for the follow up blood draws for the Quad screening.  Since my results on the Harmony test came back very good I didn't even bother wasting my time on getting the Quad screening and skipped it completely.  I wouldn't freak out.  The Quad screening is notorious for giving people a mini heart attack for no reason.  My sister's friend Quad screen came back with a 1 in 20 chance of DS and she had soft markers on top of that and her son is a happy, healthy, thriving almost 2 year old.

Good Luck!

Clery

Hi I was just lurking as I'm not pregnant presently. I had a negative materni t 21 test and my quad numbers were something like 1 in 84. I stressed my entire pregnancy regardless but my bay was completely healthy. Sorry your stressed I know the feeling.

sporklemotion

stellar77 said:

Thanks, I meant to include in my original post...

Does everyone always get a 1:... chance?

I ask because we went through this same thing with my DD almost 5 years ago. At that time of course Mat21 wasn't available and I ended up having an Amnio which Thank you Lord, came back Negative.

I believe they always give you odds, and age is a significant factor in the algorithm. I have always heard that the thing to look at is how your odds compare to others at your age-- if expected odds for your age are higher than 1:114, you are probably in decent shape. Given your other results and te good sonogram, I wouldn't worry.

fairy_diva

I don't have a lot of advice to add but I wanted to offer my support. I agree with the PPs that state sine your Mat21 is basically negative I wouldn't worry since it does look at the fetal DNA not just all proteins. Sending Hugs and prayers your way

stellar77

Thanks all. Late yesterday afternoon the genetic counselor called me back & took the time to explain everything to me.

I really like that she took the time to break down to me that with the Quad screening it is looking at proteins and what not within me, where as the Mat21 is actually looking at the babies chromosomes.  I will still go in for the sonogram today but after yesterday's phone call I felt a whole lot better.

Thanks again!

KatieKT

Thank you for this thread! I've been in a panic over 1:85 results from the second tri blood tests after normal first tri NT and bloodwork. I wish I would've opted for the harmony and not the sequential. 

ceh789

KatieKT said:

I wish I would've opted for the harmony and not the sequential. 

Unlike the other 1st Tri screens, Harmony and similar tests can be done at any time after 10 weeks - it's not too late to get the test if you still want it.

stellar77

So if I hadn't have had the Mat21 test done, had the Quad Screening done & got the results back that I did....

Would the next step have been the Mat21 test? Or straight Amnio?

I've been in limbo all weekend on what to do next.

ceh789

stellar77 said:

So if I hadn't have had the Mat21 test done, had the Quad Screening done & got the results back that I did....

Would the next step have been the Mat21 test? Or straight Amnio?

I've been in limbo all weekend on what to do next.

Depends on your OB and/or genetic counselor - my clinic has used the Mat21 for a long time and has a high degree of confidence in it so they recommend it instead of quad screen for AMA. I've heard of other clinics that still prefer the amino route for verification. The main question is what's going to let YOU rest easy?

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stellar77

Thanks girls. After alot of praying this weekend & an incident this morning at my work parking lot.

I'm going to go with the Mat21 results & the Level II Dr's sonogram that everything is okay & baby is healthy.

dglvrk2

LucyRicardo3 said:

From what I've read online and have been told by my perinatalogist, the Mat21 and like tests (I had Harmony) are so far ahead in accuracy simply because it is verifying the actual fetal DNA, whereas the quad screening looks at various proteins, etc in your bloodstream and formulates a possibility based on a logarithm. Therefore the rate of false positives with the quad screen is very high compared to the very minute rate of false results with the Mat21.
So, I would tend to ignore the quad results and go with what your specialist finds. I know that's got to be easier said than done. Hugs!!

This!!!!

I had a similar situation a few weeks ago.  It was quite daunting until I got all of the information.  My quad indicated my baby was high risk for DS.  My NIPT (MUCH more accurate for reasons listed by PP) showed me as very low risk (1 in 10,000).  

Hugs to you!  I'm glad you had a thorough conversation with the genetic counselor.  Like you, I felt much better after this :-)