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2nd Trimester
khagan9368
member
Positive quad screen - FREAKING OUT
khagan9368
member
Well after my 24 hours of joy (I was riding high after our anatomy scan) yesterday the Dr called to tell me that Kayla tested positive for Downs.
She said there is a 1 in 250 chance of her having it and step 1 would be to get the U/S and see how she looks. I said "had it YESTERDAY and they said she looked perfect" So she said that although that is very reassuring the only way to know 100% is with amnio.
I am torn, crushed, scared, you name it and I'm feeling it. I see the genetics specialist on Wed, that seems a billion year away. I just can't believe this is happening to us :-(
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Re: Positive quad screen - FREAKING OUT
(((hugs)))
I really don't know what to say but hang in there and see what they say on Wednesday.
Just went through this I know how stressful it can be.
(HUGS)
You are in my thoughts and prayers. DH and I just went through this. We were told with our high AFP results that our risk was 1 in 75 for open neural tube defects. We found out that our little boy looked good and that it was more than likely just a natural variation of AFP.
More than likely you will have a Level II ultrasound to check for the soft markers.So you'll get to see your little girl again for another big ultrasound.
Just remember that there are a lot more false positives then they ever told you with this test. 5% false posivite rate is a lie. Often, you just have a natural variation or they are off on dates. Don't stress yourself. I know that's hard to say and I did stress, but there is a greater chance that it is nothing then it is actually Down's.
I understand the feelings you're going through right now. If you need any advice, support, or anything at all, let me know.
I'm not sure how old you are, but 1 in 250 was pretty much my age-based risk. I completely don't blame you but keep in mind that really isn't SO terribly high. Especially if everything looked good in the ultrasound. The levels are very much based on the age of the fetus - sometimes they can be wrong about that and then they're completely thrown off. Many, many people get false positives with these tests, which is why lots of folks opt not to take them. I would be freaking out too, but just keep in mind this is far from the final word. I've heard of many people having something like a 1:60 risk and everything being fine. Hang in there.
If you were in a room w/ 250 other women only 1 of you would actually have to deal with this. I'm sorry - hang in there.
I went through this exact same thing last year with my daughter. We were told she had a 1 in 251 chance of having Down syndrome... even though the ultrasound segment had looked perfect. The first thing I asked after giving birth was whether she had it - and she didn't.
Just remember, your baby has a 99.6% chance of NOT having it, so those odds are still really excellent. It's unfortunate that your doctor chose to say Kayla was "positive for Downs" because that is really not accurate at all - your risk is just slightly increased.
This is exactly why we didn't have it done! The false positive rate is 25% and we have a cousin on each side of the family (mine and DH's) that tested positive and the baby was absolutely fine!! Try not to stress out and look at the odds. One in 250 means that there is <1% chance that your baby has it.
Good luck!
Jacob 3.23.08 * Grace 7.22.09 * Eli 7.26.11 * Annabelle 1.18.14
I agree with the pp--I'm sure it's really hard not to freak out right now and worry a TON, but please do try to keep in mind that there's a 1 in 250 chance she has Downs, not 100%. This is the exact reason I opted not to have any testing done. I really hope that the doctor didn't phrase it the way you said in your post, "Kayla tested positive for Downs". Because she didn't really test positive. She has a CHANCE of having it, but she doesn't have it 100% for sure. Small comfort I know, but just try repeating that over and over and maybe you'll convince your worry-brain to relax. If your brain is anything like mine, it won't be fooled, but it's worth a shot at least.
If it makes you feel any better, I have a friend whose test showed that her baby had a 1 in 250 chance of having a genetic disease that would cause her baby to die before the age of two. Her and her DH stressed out so much for the rest of the pregnancy, and everything turned out just fine. Their daughter is healthy, normal, and cute as a button.
Good luck, and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Mine was 1:147. Had the level II u/s and everything looked great. Think of it this way, worst case scenario you have a better than 99% chance of having a perfectly healthy baby. Yes an amnio would tell for sure, but with a good anatomy scan and odds that high of a healthy baby, the amnio would actually only add risk at this point. We declined the amnio because it wouldn't change our minds about keeping the baby and didn't wish to risk the small percentage of miscarriage on top of the small percentage that our baby would be less than perfect. It's ultimately your decision, but IMO you should relax and enjoy your baby. Odds are totally in your favor that everything is just fine!
I would never call 1 in 250 "positive for downs"
Positive for downs means that your child HAS downs.
Try not to stress. 1 in 250 isn't so bad. Think of those odds. Why not have an amnio to get a 100% answer.
We will pray for you and your family but I'm sure everything is fine.
Debbie