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Pregnant after 35
NT scan question
Have any of you been told that you won't recieve your number odds from the NT scan/first tri bloodwork until the second tri bloodwork is completed at about 15 weeks? I will be getting my NT scan/first tri bloodwork down on August 4th when I am 11 weeks 3 days. I called my Doctor yesteday to see if I could get the bloodwork done prior to the scan so I could have my results pretty much on the spot. It seems as if this is what a lot of people do. The nurse sounded confused by the request and said the lab they use won't tabulate the results until the 15 week bloodwork is submitted. She even looked up another woman's file from her screening at 12 weeks. The results said pending 15 week blood test. She told me the doctor will tell me some things form the NT scan but I won't get my odds until the second tri. This threw me for a loop because I didn't think I was asking for anything out of the ordinary. I also like to know everything and anything as soon as I can. Have any of you had a similar experience?
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Re: NT scan question
Sorry ladies proofed this twice but still found a mistake. I had "form" instead of "from."
My guess is that your practice doesn't deal with CVS much and they don't want to give women any false information until they have the whole set. My OB did initially tell me that the full results include both the first and second trimester screening. But she also knew I was considering a CVS if the first trimester NT/bloodwork looked iffy. So they called me with the first tri results.
When I tried to schedule the CVS, I first talked to a nurse who didn't know much about it and tried to steer me away from it, she even said she asked one of the OB's in the practice who said it was painful. Really? Anyway, my point is that I had to talk to a different nurse, who turned out to be very informative and helped me schedule the CVS. You may need to keep talking on the phone, or in person.
I am sure every office is a bit different, but having had the first trimester screening done twice now, this is what my office provided. I think it is very confusing the first time around. You need to find out which tests you are having as there are multiple ones that can be done.
INTEGRATED SCREEN: this is a blood test done at 10w0d to 12w6d + NT scan done at 11w0d to 14w0d + more blood test at 15w0d to 20w0d.
COMBINED SCREEN: this is a blood test done at 10w0d to 12w6d + an aFP at 15w0d to 20w0d (aFP is to evaluate for neural tube defects only) + NT scan at 11w0d to 14w0d.
QUAD SCREEN: this is a blood test only done at 15w0d to 20w0d
I had a combined screen the first time + a quad screen and had a false positive for Trisomy 18. When I found out about the Trisomy 18 risk I had already had my 20 week anatomy scan and they were able to rule out Trisomy 18. The genetic counselor told me that before the combined screen, they only had the quad screen to eval for Down's Syndrome, the other trisomy's and neural tube defects. Once the Combined screen was developed, the results from that are much better predictor that then quad screen and when the quad screen is done there is a high number of false positives.
I was about to post the same thing because that is what my OB's office does, but based on talk around here it seems unusual. I remember being confused with DD because I asked about my blood work results after the NT scan and was told they didn't really tell us anything until the second tri blood work is done. Based on what I can google, it appears that the majority of problems will show up in the scan or the first round of blood work but the second round is necessary to fully rule things out. So maybe it is just a CYA thing, but it's kind of annoying.
ETA: Here's an excerpt from this page from Quest Diagnostics; this makes sense and makes me feel a little better:
Another approach is the Sequential Integrated Screen in which NT, PAPP-A, and hCG are measured in the first trimester (part 1 of the test). If risk positive for Down syndrome or trisomy 18, the risks are reported and the patient can be referred immediately for diagnostic testing. Note, however, that such patients will not receive a NTD screen result because they do not undergo second trimester screening (part 2 of the test). When first trimester results are negative, risks are not reported after part 1; rather, the concentration of additional markers are measured in the second trimester. When this second part of the test is complete, markers from part 1 and part 2 are combined to provide risk estimates for Down syndrome and trisomy 18. AFP is used to report NTD risk. Thus, the Sequential Integrated Screen enables earlier diagnosis for patients with a first trimester elevated risk while maintaining a high detection rate.1
I had the same experience. For some reason I assumed I would have my results after my NT scan and 1st round of blood tests. When I called a week later, however I was told that they don't calculate the results until they get the 2nd tri blood test results.
In my case, when all the results were in, they told us we had a 1:25 chance of Down Syndrome, based on my blood tests and my age (NT scan was fine) We had an amnio the next day and found out the baby is perfectly fine.