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1st Trimester
Anyone skipping the NT scan?
I did not have it for #1 and just called insurance for #2 and it will be my deductible plus 10%, which I am fine with paying but I don't really think I need to have it. I am going to wait until my next apt to see what my dr. suggests. I do plan on getting the screening at 18 weeks for birth defects.
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Re: Anyone skipping the NT scan?
Didn't have it with DS and we won't with #2 either.
Nothing would change our course of action regardless of the results, so why have it done and stress? I've heard too many stories of false positives. And any risk to the baby, no matter how small, is not worth taking to me.
You realize that there's no risk to the baby with an NT scan, right? It's just an ultrasound and a blood test with blood they get from the mother. It's different than an amnio or CVS test, where there is a small risk to the baby. And the test doesn't give false positives, since the test doesn't say yes or no. It gives you the chances that something is wrong - i.e. you have a 1 in 3200 chance of Down's or Trisomy or whatever; you have a 1 in 200 chance; you have a 1 in 10 chance. The test isn't designed to tell you whether something is wrong; it's designed to tell you the CHANCE that something is wrong. So having a healthy baby when you were given a 1 in 10 chance that your child has Down's doesn't mean that you had a false positive - there was a 9/10 chance that your child was fine. Yes, they recommend amnio or CVS if you have a higher chance, and those DO pose risks, but you can decline them in favor of checking it out in more detail at the anatomy ultrasound at 20 weeks.
??? there's no risk to the baby with an nt scan. it's an ultrasound and a blood draw. IF your test comes back as elevated risk, you can opt to have an amnio or cvs, which does come with a small risk of miscarriage. but additional testing is not mandatory. anyway, don't get it if you don't want it. i had one today. we also agreed that bad results will not change our course of action, but if we found out the baby had DS, we could start to prepare for his/her needs. also, if god forbid the baby had a disorder that would take it from us before birth or shortly after, we felt we would rather start the grieving process now. to each her own.
We'll always remember our angel baby: BFP 9/24/10, M/C 10/23/10 8w4d
Thank you. Can we just copy and paste this everyday when someone asks this question?
I know someone who had the scan done and was told they had an elevated risk for a genetic disorder. She worried and stressed and secondary to same, had an amnio. As a result of the amnio, she miscarried and lost the baby. And genetic testing after the death of the baby showed there was no genetic defect to begin with.
I guess I should have clarified the "risk" part of my original post.
It is a personal decision, and we are choosing not to. I don't judge those who chose to have one, it's just not for us.
I'm not judging your decision not to have one. That's perfectly fine. However, I don't want misinformation spread to people who are still trying to decide whether to have one. The risk again is completely preventable. If the NT scan shows an elevated chance of an issue, you do not have to have an amnio or CVS. You can wait for the "big" ultrasound. In general that u/s will be fairly accurate in terms of verification, and if you wouldn't terminate the pregnancy there's no risk in waiting. Second, I'm terribly sorry for the loss of your friend's child. That's devastating. However, it should also be noted the normal rate of miscarriage at this gestational age is 2 to 3%, and an amnio increases that risk by just an additional .5 to 1%. The increase is statistically insignificant - although obviously to anyone who has suffered a loss it's incredibly significant. The point is that if you read any studies it's nearly impossible to separate losses that would have occurred regardless and losses from an amnio being performed.
I say this not to judge anyone for doing it or not doing it or to push someone into making any specific decision. However, the misinformation about these tests that abound on these boards is borderline dangerous. People need to do their own research and listen to their doctor's advice, not focus on the groupthink on these boards and not listen to stories based on friends of internet strangers.