At my 19 week second ultrasound, I got the great news that I'm having a baby girl! Everything seemed to look ok but two reported concerns. Her left foot appeared to have a sandal gap. Not only that I was told the her index finger on her right hand looked like it was "missing" as my insensitive doctor described. I am an ICU RN and how this was presented to me was in my opinion inappropriate and insensitive. I asked her well could it be possible that she is bending her finger, or stretching her foot? And she said yes it is, and started telling me that I should have bloodwork done (the maternti21 test) and that I need to schedule an appointment with the high risk doc in maternal fetal medicine to do level 2 ultrasound, because the sandal gap is a soft marker for Down's. She offered the invasive testing but I declined. I'm crying at this point; to hear that there may be anything that would compromise the health of my baby is devastating.
I'm 28 and this is my first baby. Is there anyone out there that is having a similar experience? I have many friends and families with babies and this sort of thing was never concerning. I feel very alone. Id like to add that my significant other is more than supportive, and he and I will love this baby no matter what. I just wish I had another person who can relate.
Re: Sandal gap soft marker for Down's
I too refused the testing. From what I read is that downs has the most false positives and false negatives. Some drs push for the testing because it is a money maker.
Try not to stress too much. They just may make you have monthly u/s with a specialist until they rule it out. But make sure you like the specialist, if not switch. I had a bad experience with one and my new guy took the time to listen and actually answer my questions. He also took the time to reassure me because I was told 4 different diagnosis. So he helped rule some out.
I will be thinking of you.
I am sorry you are going through this. Its just scary with the unknown, hopefully the mfm can be more reassuring.
I totally understand how you feel...husband and I will love this baby no matter what but to be told of these possibilities makes my head spin.
Much of my reading has revealed people worrying for nothing- and I read that 18% of people have a curved in pinky and nothing else wrong.
For now we will wait and pray for our precious son.
Keep us updated and I will too
Mrsbelladoyle: both of the tips of my Pinkies are curved in, so are my sisters, so are my fathers, and we are all Down's free. Yes it's the waiting that kills. It seems like such a huge difference just knowing these answers would make in our lives. I just can't wait to find out for sure, but it seems like you won't unless amnio and actually birth. One of the nurses at work was 35 when she had her son and because of her age, they had her going for lvl 2 ultrasounds on the regular. She told me they are really cool to see because you can see everything. So that part made me excited. My ultrasound at my regular OB was really terrible. We could see her kidneys , heart and brain were normal, but she was moving so much there are no real clear pictures. And they didn't send me home with the one of her supposed sandal gap. I was told that the regular ultrasound they do at the OB office can detect critical anomalies, so if there is something smaller and hard to see i. E. Certain heart defects it will be able to be seen on this lvl 2 ultrasound. So we wait. And make sure u read the link at the bottom about the materniti21 test. My OB advertised this test wrong to me, but if you look on ACOGs website you will see that that OB docs are not supposed to say the test is positive or negative, because the results come back as a probability. I was told it is 99% accurate. How can something be 99% accurate If the result is a probability?? Come on. I just wanted to tell you incase you get a OB like the one they've been putting me with. Good luck to the health of yo and your baby and keep me posted also.
https://www.downsyndromeprenataltesting.com/your-maternit21-test-is-never-positive/
You had earlier mentioned that they said the baby had fluid in the brain. Did they diagnose your baby with hydrocephalus?
But in any case I go for my ultrasound on Monday. So they can get their missed views of heart and face and check on his pinky. I'll let you know how it goes.
It's been hard to wait so long...but I love this little kicker so much.
My maternit21 came back negative for DS, but we went to MFM anyway to see the baby again. The doc said she didn't have a sandal gap and everything looked typical to him. All 10 fingers and 10 toes, measurements of vital organs and long bones typical. This MFM also said the sandal gap is the "softest of the soft markers" and he had told me if he saw that he prob wouldn't have even mentioned it to me.
@rklinge0 Are u home yet? Did they have to keep you and the baby longer? Hope you are feeling well.
The pediatrician in nicu actually told me she wouldn't have thought anything with the extra fluid, mild ventricular meglamolmy and was surprised thats why they even said it. I guess at least that way it wasn't a complete shock.
I appreciate you checking up on me.
All that stress and worry for nothing.
If anyone else is reading up on soft markers and such...big emphasis on the soft part!!
@rklinge0 glad to hear you and the babe are home and she must be doing well if you're home and nicu free! Have they gotten the chromosome results back yet?