Is anyone NOT getting the N/T scan?

BarooGirl · October 2011

I called my OB about this today. They dont routinely do these. They can refer you out if you want.

They do do some kind of bloodwork later on that will give you an idea if there are possible issues.

I kind of just thought everyone got one and you could opt out if you wanted. I guess that isnt how it is at my OBs office.

Is anyone not getting because your OB doesnt usually do them or not getting one because you opted out?

Thanks

altachica · October 2011

My office doesn't automatically offer them and said the one later one is more routine. She said that if we had anything in our histories that would elevate risk levels she would have suggested the NT scan for us.

My neighbor says she wishes she didn't do one just because worrying over probabilities and not actualities was very nerve-wracking to her.

I'm just going by my doctor's suggestions. She's not only a doctor, but a mother, so I trust her and she's always responsive to my questions and concerns, so have no reason to doubt her.

I know everyone has their own view on the NT testing (I think there was a post yesterday).

Belizelovers · October 2011

I am not getting one because I opted out.

fyziksgirl · October 2011

I'm not getting one. To me it's all about what you would do with the information. Remember, the NT scan gives you no conclusive data, so if it comes up that you are high risk for something you have to do more testing. Most of the testing is invasive, such as CVS (1 in 200 risk of miscarriage) or amniocentesis (1 in 400 risk of miscarriage), and I would not risk it. There are additional ultrasounds they could do to try to look for problems, but that's not really conclusive, either. To me it would not reassure me if I came back low risk (not that I'm worried) and I would not be willing to act if I came back high risk, so all the test could possibly do is increase my stress levels throughout pregnancy.

cvbee · October 2011

I'm not.

My doctor said in the 'big city', the doctor will usually automatically give you the paperwork for it and not really make it an 'option'. Mine explained it as an option, and he said in his practice only about 25 percent of people get it done. He said it was up to me and that I could just ask the ladies at the front for the paperwork.

I've decided not to, and I will admit that it was my doctor's way of framing it that made me decide this. Before getting pregnant, I told my friend that I would get it because it's good to have more information. Changed my mind.

momofabigailanne · October 2011

We did not get it with our DD. Insurance did not cover it. We said that if the blood work came back with any indication of a risk that we would move forward with the scan.

We are having it with this pregnancy simply because insurance covers it. If there was something wrong, we would want to be prepared.

Mrs.Deputy · October 2011

I'm not because my insurance doesn't cover it. Not a big deal to me.

MrandMrsHull · October 2011

I wont be doing 1. MyOB offiice does not usually offer them. They offer a quad scan from 16 to 20 weeks which I'm not sure I'll do either

soontobeskalak · October 2011

fyziksgirl:
I'm not getting one. To me it's all about what you would do with the information. Remember, the NT scan gives you no conclusive data, so if it comes up that you are high risk for something you have to do more testing. Most of the testing is invasive, such as CVS (1 in 200 risk of miscarriage) or amniocentesis (1 in 400 risk of miscarriage), and I would not risk it. There are additional ultrasounds they could do to try to look for problems, but that's not really conclusive, either. To me it would not reassure me if I came back low risk (not that I'm worried) and I would not be willing to act if I came back high risk, so all the test could possibly do is increase my stress levels throughout pregnancy.

This...DH and I talked about it last night, and know that this is not for us. I don't need any more stress then I already have and this would only give me one more thing to worry about.

lissa339 · October 2011

We're not. It was offered to us, but I don't think it will be helpful. We wouldn't terminate. The false positive and false negative rates are signficant. And, the purpose of the 20 week U/S really is to assess whether or not things are progressing normally...which would still give us plenty of time to "prepare" should that be an issue.

Katelobster · October 2011

I'm not. I'd rather not worry. Plus I get lots of other ultrasounds, so it's not like that's my only chance.

Tippy05 · October 2011

We opted out as well.

bobbs420 · October 2011

My old ob office didn't do them. So I just had the routine bloodwork done with DS. My new practice does do them, and they offered it to me along witht the bloodwork to check for chromosomal abnormalities, so I am getting it done this time. Hey, it's another chance to see the baby! Wink

rsrs807 · October 2011

I'm getting one but I'm not sure how routine it is at my OB's office - she mentioned screening, I said we definitely wanted the NT scan, and she gave me the referral form (my practice is affiliated with a hospital and the diagnostic center at the hospital does all their NT scans etc.) But I'm not sure if I hadn't been so adamant about wanting it if it would have been offered as a matter of course.

hopefulmom81 · October 2011

I wasn't going to do the NT scan.

Then, last week I had a bad feeling I had another missed m/c and scheduled one. I am looking at it as an extra ultrasound for reassurance. My friend who suffered a stillbirth did the NT scan for the same reason with her second pregnancy. She said she wouldn't do an amnio based on the results and just wanted a detailed look at the baby.

Sidenote: I also think people should be careful with saying "I would NEVER change my decision about the pregnancy". You have no clue what you would or would not do if you heard of your LO having some horrific condition that would cause them pain and is not compatible with life (i.e. not having a skull).

lindy27 · October 2011

We are opting out at our clinic. It is not considered part of the "normal" care and they said less than 50% of couples decide to have an N/T scan there.

ephillips1981 · October 2011

I discussed it with my doctor and we are opting out. She doesn't encourage it since she said many times it is not accurate and just causes a lot of unnecessary worry, which no expecting mother needs.

gigismomma · October 2011

If they offer it to me I will go for it. It is just an ultrasound where the tech takes measurements of your baby to see if you are at risk for certain problems and then if you are at risk you can decide to go with the CVS or amnio for futher testing. I am going for a u/s next Wed so I will ask if they recommend it or not. I know there is bloodwork coming up as well.

Linz1233 · October 2011

I wont be. If something comes up in the pregnancy that makes me change my mind then I will re-visit the idea when we are at that point.

BarooGirl · October 2011

hopefulmom81:

I wasn't going to do the NT scan.

Then, last week I had a bad feeling I had another missed m/c and scheduled one. I am looking at it as an extra ultrasound for reassurance. My friend who suffered a stillbirth did the NT scan for the same reason with her second pregnancy. She said she wouldn't do an amnio based on the results and just wanted a detailed look at the baby.

Sidenote: I also think people should be careful with saying "I would NEVER change my decision about the pregnancy". You have no clue what you would or would not do if you heard of your LO having some horrific condition that would cause them pain and is not compatible with life (i.e. not having a skull).

I think I might just ask for an extra u/s. I did purchase a doppler lastnight and hope it eases some fears.

and to the 2nd part: I agree, I dont know what I would do in certain situations. I would look over options if I found out that my baby was destined (sp?) to have a short life of severe pain. My reason was not for the down syndrom testing it was for all the other things that are tested for. That is why I am kind of on the fence about the NT scan.

My OB said he didnt see an increased reason for me to have one and his wife didnt have one with their 3 children... I still dont know.

I am going to talk it over with DH and read up a bit more on it. I am leaning towards not having one.

(yes, I ask my OB "what did your wife do? or what would you tell your wife?" all the time He is great and I have been with him for about 10 years now, I do trust him)

blueshamrock7 · October 2011

hopefulmom81:

Sidenote: I also think people should be careful with saying "I would NEVER change my decision about the pregnancy". You have no clue what you would or would not do if you heard of your LO having some horrific condition that would cause them pain and is not compatible with life (i.e. not having a skull).

I couldn't agree more. It's so sad, but it does happen. I pray to God it doesn't happen to any of us, of course.

jossalyn617 · October 2011

I agree with "Hopefulmom" comments.

It's a very hard decision. Our ins. covered it and it's another chance to see our baby before our 18-20 week u/s. Although we are not at risk I want to be sure our baby is healthy.

I posted earlier that I have had 2 friends whom never thought they would ever want to term a pregnancy but with the condition of the baby it wasn't really an option. One had a major case of Spinal Bifida (the baby would never be able to walk, talk, eat or use the bathroom on it's own) the other had major birth defects (2 mouths, extra fingers, missing an eye). They were both advised to term the pregnancy by mult. doctors. Both now have happy and healthy babies!

jordan_nb · October 2011

My office hasn't offered me one. However I am 24, MH is 26, and we have no family history of issues.

rubber_chicken · October 2011

we're not doing it. my ob does it regularly, but because of our age and family history we're considered low risk, so we're just doing the blood test.

MickeyM04 · October 2011

Baroo, obviously it's a very personal choice and you should do whatever is right for you. That being said, my OB recommends them, especially for mothers with previous losses as they are often very reassuring. Someone on PgAL posted something about NT scans yesterday that I also found very helpful. An NT scan is not just about whether your baby will have Downs or some other genetic issue. She said as follows:

I strongly disagree that the NT scan "only tells you the odds." In my first pregnancy, we opted for the NT as another chance to check in on our baby and for peace of mind that things were developing ok. We were both 27 at the time and with no history of any pregnancy problems in either of our families. Turns out the high definition ultrasound revealed that our baby likely had Turner Syndrome (greater than a 1 in 2 chance) and ended up passing away two weeks later. An autopsy on a fetus at that age is very rudimentary and all we learned was that the fetus was "suboptimal." Testing of the baby's genetic material was also inconclusive as the tissue samples were too old to grow new tissue. Had we not taken a look with the high def ultrasound, we would never have known what lead to my second trimester loss and we would have been completely in the dark as to what the situation would be for previous pregnancies.

Fast forward to this pregnancy, and while we were happy to receive glowing odds for this baby's risk level this time around, the NT also provided so much peace of mind in other areas. The NT not only measures a couple of things that can indicate the presence of certain genetic syndromes, but also looks at blood flow in the placenta, blood flow in the uterus, blood flow through the umbilical cord, the baby's internal blood flow, cervical length, general anatomy, heart development and brain development. A major problem in any of those areas would definitely be a game changer and would likely require a change in the pregnancy's normal course of treatment. To me, the syndrome odds generated by an NT scan are only one small part of what has been a very meaningful test each time I've had it.

BarooGirl · October 2011

Peanut2929:

Baroo, obviously it's a very personal choice and you should do whatever is right for you. That being said, my OB recommends them, especially for mothers with previous losses as they are often very reassuring. Someone on PgAL posted something about NT scans yesterday that I also found very helpful. An NT scan is not just about whether your baby will have Downs or some other genetic issue. She said as follows:

I strongly disagree that the NT scan "only tells you the odds." In my first pregnancy, we opted for the NT as another chance to check in on our baby and for peace of mind that things were developing ok. We were both 27 at the time and with no history of any pregnancy problems in either of our families. Turns out the high definition ultrasound revealed that our baby likely had Turner Syndrome (greater than a 1 in 2 chance) and ended up passing away two weeks later. An autopsy on a fetus at that age is very rudimentary and all we learned was that the fetus was "suboptimal." Testing of the baby's genetic material was also inconclusive as the tissue samples were too old to grow new tissue. Had we not taken a look with the high def ultrasound, we would never have known what lead to my second trimester loss and we would have been completely in the dark as to what the situation would be for previous pregnancies.

Fast forward to this pregnancy, and while we were happy to receive glowing odds for this baby's risk level this time around, the NT also provided so much peace of mind in other areas. The NT not only measures a couple of things that can indicate the presence of certain genetic syndromes, but also looks at blood flow in the placenta, blood flow in the uterus, blood flow through the umbilical cord, the baby's internal blood flow, cervical length, general anatomy, heart development and brain development. A major problem in any of those areas would definitely be a game changer and would likely require a change in the pregnancy's normal course of treatment. To me, the syndrome odds generated by an NT scan are only one small part of what has been a very meaningful test each time I've had it.

I missed this yesterday. Thanks for posting it.

I am going to think on it and look into it some more. I go back and forth on being almost sure (on both sides). I have a few weeks to decide, I think I am going to use those to figure out what to do.

Really, thanks for reposting this for me.

livinreality · October 2011

We are not getting one. They are not routine with my OB and we talked about when she would recommend one and none apply to me. It is iffy as to whether our insurance would cover it. We did not have one with DS.

gardenandread · October 2011

As far as I know none of the OB's or MW's in the practice we use offer these. I imagine they could do them if they were asked, but it definitely is not a routine test for that practice. It kind of sucks, but the next closest doctor is 2 hours away. They do the quad blood testing instead. The only thing I don't like about that test instead, is that I think (not positive) that it has a higher level of false positives for problems, which makes me worry more.

LisaBea · October 2011

Mine offers them but Im probably not going to get it. There is no reason for us to worry and I dont want to add undue stress. Just my opinion.

T&BMay142005 · October 2011

I am not getting one. They dont routinely do them and just like you they do some blood work. I didn't get one with DD either.

mrs+harlow · October 2011

Peanut2929:
Baroo, obviously it's a very personal choice and you should do whatever is right for you. That being said, my OB recommends them, especially for mothers with previous losses as they are often very reassuring. Someone on PgAL posted something about NT scans yesterday that I also found very helpful. An NT scan is not just about whether your baby will have Downs or some other genetic issue. She said as follows:

I strongly disagree that the NT scan "only tells you the odds." In my first pregnancy, we opted for the NT as another chance to check in on our baby and for peace of mind that things were developing ok. We were both 27 at the time and with no history of any pregnancy problems in either of our families. Turns out the high definition ultrasound revealed that our baby likely had Turner Syndrome (greater than a 1 in 2 chance) and ended up passing away two weeks later. An autopsy on a fetus at that age is very rudimentary and all we learned was that the fetus was "suboptimal." Testing of the baby's genetic material was also inconclusive as the tissue samples were too old to grow new tissue. Had we not taken a look with the high def ultrasound, we would never have known what lead to my second trimester loss and we would have been completely in the dark as to what the situation would be for previous pregnancies.

Fast forward to this pregnancy, and while we were happy to receive glowing odds for this baby's risk level this time around, the NT also provided so much peace of mind in other areas. The NT not only measures a couple of things that can indicate the presence of certain genetic syndromes, but also looks at blood flow in the placenta, blood flow in the uterus, blood flow through the umbilical cord, the baby's internal blood flow, cervical length, general anatomy, heart development and brain development. A major problem in any of those areas would definitely be a game changer and would likely require a change in the pregnancy's normal course of treatment. To me, the syndrome odds generated by an NT scan are only one small part of what has been a very meaningful test each time I've had it.

Thank you for posting all of this. YES! As someone who had one yesterday , The NT scan isn't just about the trisomy genetic defects and measuring the nuchal fold!!! It checks out everything on the baby, they look at your uterus, the ovaries, measure blood flow, check your cervix, check the baby 's brain, heartbeat, tummy, spine ( for spina bifida). A million things were measured.It's is a very involved and detailed ultrasound and isn't just about Down's Syndrome. Some of these things they check for have ZERO to do with genetics so to say " I'm not getting it because I'm not high risk and I have no family history of genetic abnormalities " doesn't really make sense here. If you think it causes you extra stress and worry then that is for you to decide but chances are you are fine...but for me if something like spina bifida or some other major malformation were to have occurred I would want to know prior to 20 weeks. I will never skip this test with my future children.

ACC0512 · October 2011

We opted out. The risk of a false positive would just stress me out. Knowing wouldn't change anything for us anyways.

J&PJax · October 2011

I've struggled with this decision as well. At first I just saw it as another opportunity to see the baby, but then I realized that I don't want the undue stress if the test finds increased odds for a problem as we won't follow up with a CVS or amnio and wouldn't know anything for sure until I deliver anyway. Then I reconsidered and thought that if the scan found something else of concern that would change the course of my prenatal care to improve outcomes, then that would be worth it. I don't know if my OB practice routinely offers the scan, or if they did to me because of my age. We have ours scheduled for Thursday, but I'm honestly still not 100% sure we'll be going.

kami1977 · October 2011

I didn't get one last time because my OB didn't offer me one. We were offered and did accept the quad screen which is between 14 and 16 weeks and is just a blood draw. I'm fine with doing that one again.

bridekimmie · October 2011

Opted out. The OB office currently going to offers it, but not going through with it.

jakdw · October 2011

Mine only does an anatomy scan. But I go to a GP not an OB. So I guess I am no help here sorry.

brendisima · October 2011

I'm high risk--they offer EITHER the NT scan or CVS or Amnio.. I'm going for the CVS on Monday since I've heard horror stories and don't want to rely on "probability" instead of diagnostics.. yeah, I'm nervous and scared but it's worth it. GOOD LUCK to you..

luvinlifeMN · October 2011

We are opting out. Finding out my odds of having a child with any sort of genetic disorder would do nothing but worry me. We would not do the follow up amnio or the other test where they take a piece of your placenta nor would we terminate the baby if we found we have a high liklihood of having a baby with a genetic disorder so in our case it does not make much sense to proceed with the NT scan.

Ammers197 · October 2011

I decided against getting it... I figured that no matter what I'd still want my baby, but i'd rather not worry about possibilites of something.

johnson617 · October 2011

My office does not routinely do them either. There is a blood work panel, I forgot the long name for it, that I can opt for, but was warned of the very high rate of false positives. If you do have a positive then they will refer you for additional testing if you wish.

cbottali · October 2011

fyziksgirl:
I'm not getting one. To me it's all about what you would do with the information. Remember, the NT scan gives you no conclusive data, so if it comes up that you are high risk for something you have to do more testing. Most of the testing is invasive, such as CVS (1 in 200 risk of miscarriage) or amniocentesis (1 in 400 risk of miscarriage), and I would not risk it. There are additional ultrasounds they could do to try to look for problems, but that's not really conclusive, either. To me it would not reassure me if I came back low risk (not that I'm worried) and I would not be willing to act if I came back high risk, so all the test could possibly do is increase my stress levels throughout pregnancy.

This.

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