- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
1st Trimester
Ultra-Screen verses or compared to Amniocentesis
I am 37 and the above screen for Down Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities has been offered to me by my doctor. The first only gives your risks where as amniocentesis tells yes or no. Does anyone know about these tests and whether they are worth it.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Ultra-Screen verses or compared to Amniocentesis
The first is only a blood test (they combine it with the numbers from the nt) which gives you the odds. I can tell you that mine gave me a 1:14,000 odds for ds, and very low odds for sb and trisomies. I'd only opt for amnio if it was highly recommended based on the blood work.
eta: and I'm 36.
I would highly recommend the ultra-screen. It is totally risk free and will help give you a better picture of what your risks are...obviously it's not 100%, but I liked knowing my risk.
The amnio does have the risk (although small) of a m/c associated with it.
If I were in your situation I would do the ultrascreen first. If your risk for Downs or Trisomy 18 come back high, then I would talk to my Dr about doing the amnio.
I would never just go into doing an amnio if I didn't have reason to believe something was wrong.
I'm getting the ultra screen/ N/T scan just to be on the safe side as there are no risks to you or the baby and (I think based on how well I remember the info. from my OB) there is a 90% detection rate for potential trisomy/downs abnormalities. If that detects anything then I will have an amniocentesis - however I'm 29 and not considered at risk.
The amniocentesis carries an EXTREMELY SMALL risk for miscarriage, so I would go off of your OB's advice.
Good luck - I have the N/T scan (ultra screen) this week -
I'm guessing the Ultra-Screen is the testing many on here refer to as the NT scan. ?My doctor called it something else entirely (First Trimester Combined Screen or something), and it was a long ultrasound and bloodwork done at 12 weeks. ?They used my age, the results of the u/s (a measurement taken of the back of baby's nuchal fold), and the results of the bloodwork to come up with odds for DS and a Trisomy (can't remember which one). ?Both of mine came back with 1:10,000 odds, so no need for further testing. ?My aunt was pregnant the same time as me, and her tests came back with a 1:200 chance of Downs. ?She was 40 at the time. ?She chose to do the amnio to get a more conclusive result, and the amnio showed her baby girl was perfectly healthy.
I ABSOLUTELY thought doing the NT Scan was worth it. ?We would not have chosen termination if something was wrong, but I would want to know before birth- I wouldn't want to receive such a traumatic surprise on my child's birth day. ?Even my aunt, who had "scary" results and needed the amnio, felt it was a good choice to have the testing done. ?I liked having a nice long u/s at 12 weeks too, and we found out at that point we were having a boy (that isn't usually possible, but our tech had 30 years of experience and was very certain of it).
Good luck!?
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
Good advice. I am 26 yrs old and not high risk - but plan to do the NT scan and blood work (was recomended to me). If the odds are in your favor - even if it's not a difinitive yes or no answer there is no need to do the amnio. My doctor told me that an amnio is really for people that plan to terminate the pregnancy if something is determined to be wrong (his words not mine).
I can understand the need for a definitive yes or no answer. But an amnio is invasive and there are risk invovled. If you plan to keep you baby either way - then maybe the NT scan and blookwork can give your enough information that you need to make a decision. Wait to see your results from your NT scan and bloodwork before getting too worked up about the amnio.
Good Luck!
my H and I decided that we'd do the screening (blood test and u/s) and if our risk is higher than expected, then we'll do the amnio. I'll be 35 by the due date.