My doctor just called

thinkpink101

The test results from my quad screen last week are back and I'm showing an elevated risk for Downs. 1 in 35 she said. I have an appointment with a High risk doctor on Friday and they will do a level II us and have me meet with a genetic counselor, but in the meantime I'm kind of freaking out.

leelee72

Don't freak yourself out! We have been there ourselves and I know the feeling. Then numbers are only a suggested one. And they seem to change with each appt we have gone to. My numbers didn't come from quad it came with a heart issue we r dealing with. They legally have to inform you of any and all possibilities in order to cover themselves. Just listen to what they say and take it all wi th a grain of salt. There are so many false positives. And in the mean time just try to be informed however don't go Google crazy it doesn't help. I know it's not easy. We've been dealing with it but we know that no matter what we love our child and god only gives us what we can handle and that everything happens for a reason. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope this helped a little! We r all her for you!!

sidey1

Raising hand for a false positive for Quad screen, my understanding is the Quad has a very high false positive rate, especially for the AMA crowd, I know it's scary, but chances are things will be ok! Thoughts are with you..

KateLouise

I don't have any experience with this, I just wanted to say big hugs, I'm sure it's very worrying. I wish you all the best.

thinkpink101

Thank you everyone for your kind words, I REALLY appreciate it!

Guennie

Lurking. Just want to further assure you because I remember how scary this was. I went through this with my daughter and everything turned out fine. It really is very common. Try not to worry and remember this isn't a diagnosis, it's just a risk factor. It does not in any way indicate that something is actually wrong. Hugs!

cneiding

So many people get high results with the quad test.  So many.  It was so unreliable, in fact, that I opted to skip the quad with every pregnancy.  Before the quad and the triple screen and I opted out of that one everytime also as it was unreliable too.  ONe thing with those test are they compile these numbers and give you a risk.  If you are of "advanced maternal age" you automatically get a high score for that alone.  I am not sure your age but the 1 in 35 risk you were given might not be that far off from the general numbers they give to everyone....so basically you have no different risk now than before you did the test..or your score never really changed.  If you understand what I am trying to say, can't seem to form good thoughts today!

thinkpink101

I totally understand. I'm 39 so my doctor said that the "normal" risk for my age was 1 in 80. So 1 in 35 seemed very concerning. I feel a little better after reading everyone's posts, but I haven't slept much the past two nights, and I while a part of me can't wait to go to the specialist tomorrow, the other part is terrified of what I might hear. They said they would look for soft markers, and then possibly proceed with the Maternit21(?) test.

doodlebug48

The Marterni21 test is also just a screening test with risk, not a definitive answer. If you are looking for a definitive test (as in yes or no, not risk) then you will need to do an ammio. The Quad screen is known for false positives and looking at your results the other way, you have much more of a chance that everything is fine. Good luck!

thinkpink101

I know. The genetic counselor we saw made it sound like the Maternit21 is 99% accurate, but of course I did some reading about it and found some less reassuring information. An acquaintance of mine who is not AMA, had no risk factors and who had all screenings and u/s come back perfectly normal was very surprised to give birth to a Downs baby. I'm terrified of doing an amnio though!

mum2lanabelliz

Just to put the 1:35 into perspective it equates to a 2.9% chance. I know these numbers and "elevated risk" are scary. However it is still a really low percentage. Is there a chance? Yes. But as you say it can really happen at any age. Not just ama. A good friend of mine had a downs baby at 30. I know it is hard to not stress and worry. I hope all turns out well for you and your baby. Weigh the risks to an amino and if it's right for you then make the best decision for you. I wish you the very best outcome.

mattandlora

Hang in there! This was just a screening test. They're deliberately used for screening only because there are a lot of false positives. That way, real positives shouldn't get missed or falls through the cracks. Anyone with a positive screen gets the more reliable (but usually move invasive and/or expensive) test. Keep us posted!

 

*edited for typo*