Did you get the 12wk scan for down syndrome? 25 with one child. what did you do?

Elizabeth - posted on 01/21/2011

Carly, it may possibly have been another test. It was called 'amneo...' It's been awhile, but the literature actually does state that when they take the fluid sample to test for down syndrome that it could poke the unborn child in the eye! I still have the pamphlets!

Carrie - posted on 01/21/2011

I avoided the scan and I was 36. They snuck in a "gene" blood test. If you do not want the tests then say so. They stressed me out!!! I have had 6 children. She was the last and they had me on pins and needles (no punt attended) over all the tests. I would not do it, if only for that reason!!!

Sheila - posted on 01/21/2011

I chose not to get the test because (I forget the percentage) but some high amount of tests come back positive and scare the mother for no reason; because the test is wrong! Also, if you would keep the baby with downs anyway than why put the baby at risk with the 2nd test you have to get if the first test comes back positive. My doc didn't like that I refused the test but I have 2 healthy boys and I'm glad I never poked a needle by them in utero!

Carly - posted on 01/21/2011

My friends sister was 26 when she had a child with down syndrome. Needless to say it was a big shock. You need to consider the ramifications... Yes, it is possible you could have a child with down syndrome (I have heard of younger women than you having them). Would you want to know if you were having a down syndrome baby. If you found out the fetus did have down syndrome, what would you do? If you would keep the baby regardless of the test result then it is only a matter of wanting to be mentally prepared I guess.

And contrary to previous posts there is no risk involved, just an ultrasound and a blood test. I did have a laugh when I read somone say the needle could poke your child in the eye!! What needle??? And I agree with what another lady said; I loved going to the ultrasounds purely to see my little baby growing. It was beautiful!

Elizabeth - posted on 01/20/2011

I didn't read the 195 previous responses. I didn't get this test or others for detecting down syndrome, etc. even though I was told I was at a higher risk due to my older age. I refused the test for several reasons. Like the 1st reply, it wouldn't have changed my mind because I'd have & keep 'the baby' no matter what! Also, the accuracy of the test results are very low considering the risks involved. The needle can possibly poke your unborn child in the eye causing blindness, etc. One woman I know had the test & was given a very high probability of her child being a 'mongoloid'. However, her baby was perfectly 'normal' & is now about 10. I'm sure the test results caused her undue stress during her pregnancy.

Kara - posted on 01/20/2011

I got the test, it was just a more indepth ultrasound, and blood no risk to you or the baby. The Downs test was fine but they did find that the umbilibal cord had only 2 vessals instead of 3...which cause complications with the baby"s kidneys. So i was glad I did it. I got all the tests my doctor recommended even if the thought of something being wrong with my baby scared me to death.
I had a hole in my hip bone as a child and was 4 before I was able to walk, my condition corrected itself without surgery. But I had yearly checkups at the Shriner's Childrens Hospital it was an all day thing between xrays and doctors then the specialist, I saw some pretty upsetting things. I stopped going at 14 because it was to sad being there especially since i got better and most of the children there won"t. I do remember there was a family with 5 kids all with the same debilitating birthdefect, i thought it was selfish of the parents to do that to there children knowing what the outcome would be.

Susan - posted on 01/20/2011

Would you keep the baby regardless? I've never heard of the scan, don't know if it's new since my daughter was born, but most tests don't come without some kind of possible risk. I am pro-life and don't think it's right to abort a baby because they have a disability, but I know from friends that raising a disabled child can be very expensive. I personally would not get the test done.

Melanie - posted on 01/20/2011

I didn't know with my son, and I wish I did, I was absolutely gutted when I found out when my son was 6 weeks old. He is now 5 and has had 7 surgeries, and easily over 100 therapy sessions, he does not talk, only eats pureed food and is always sick, it is by far the hardest thing I have done or will ever do! I feel bad for my 13 year old daughter as she always misses out, as much as I love and adore my son, I honestly would NOT wish this life on anyone

Nichole - posted on 01/20/2011

I didn't get it. I'm about to have my third baby and I never got it with any of them. The way I look at it, it doesn't matter. I don't believe in abortion to begin with, and there is no way I would ever get one myself. No matter what I will continue a pregnancy so I'd rather just not know. Why put yourself through all that stress and worry. Especially when they're not 100% accurate to begin with. Total waste of energy.

PEGGY - posted on 01/20/2011

my daughter is 25, she has a five month old baby with downs. since she has had the babywe have incountered quite afew youn moms with ds. my daughter said knowing the whole pregnancy was to stressful. it is a low percentage but higher then it was years ago. this is her second child, her first daughter does not have ds.

Jessica - posted on 01/20/2011

We opted to NOT get it with all 3 of our pregnancies. We knew we would love them just the same even if we knew we could face challenges after the baby was born. We didn't find out what sex the babies were before they were born either.

ANSON - posted on 01/20/2011

If I nt wrong I did when I have my elder boy @ 20yrs old. My 2nd boy I didn't. As we think ok. N my gynae ok with us nt doing. Blood test n e detail scan is a must.

Janessa - posted on 01/20/2011

My doctor is very laid back and didn't even recommend it. What my husband and I asked ourselves was would it change whether or not we'd keep the baby, and it wouldn't. So we didn't put ourselves through that. I know people who tested positive and weren't, so it isn't very accurate.

Emily - posted on 01/20/2011

I did not get the scan done. I was 38 and pregnant with twins, so our doctors definitely kept pushing us since we were considered high risk. But we felt that the risks to do it was just too high and even if the results were to come back positive (which they did not) there would have been nothing we could do. Our babies were born fine. It really is your choice. Trust your instincts.

Jennifer - posted on 01/20/2011

This test is very different to other ultrasounds which are extremely important. This test is exclusively to pick up Down's Syndrome and other chromosomal defects. Other congenital abnormalities are much much easier to check for at the time of a 20 week scan. So if it is normal it just reduces but doesn't eliminate your risk of having a baby with Down's. It is still important to have screening later for other abnormalities.

Jennifer - posted on 01/20/2011

You really need to think about what you would do with the result. If it made no difference to you and what you would do with the pregnancy, then would you like to know if your baby had Down's before it was born? If it made a difference to whether you would keep the baby or not then it's very important that you get the test so you can then make that decision. There has been some research to show that mother's will bond better with their new baby if they don't know beforehand that it has Down's. However it is very important to know it is only a screening test and it can be wrong. I am a paediatrician and have seen families have a baby with Down's having had this testing tell them their risk was low. I did not get screened for either of my pregnancies as I knew it would only make me worried through the pregnancy and I didn't want to terminate anyway. Good luck you'll make the right decision for you

Sarah - posted on 01/20/2011

I did with #1, just because I wanted to see the baby; but I decided not to get it with #2, seeing as the risk is still very low and I didn't see much point in getting it - even if the baby did have Downs, I wouldn't have an abortion, so the whole thing seemed rather pointless.

KRISTY - posted on 01/20/2011

I am a sonographer who performs these tests. The ultrasound, along with blood work, usually performed the same day, can be very helpful in determining your risk of having a child with chromosomal defects. It's much more accurate than the traditional blood work performed at around 20 weeks.

Anna - posted on 01/20/2011

if i didnt have that scan it would have been ages before i found out i was having twins. The scan showed nothing wrong with either child but since i have had 5 more scans.... one was at 20 weeks, everything fine, it was one at 25 weeks to check on growth that showed a herniated diaphram in one of the babies. If i didnt go for that scan i would only now be getting another scan and dealing with the change of hospital, surgery after birth for my girl, dealing with a 2 year old, a new born boy and a sick girl.

Also my 2 year old was diagnosed with hydronephrosis of the kidneys at a 20 week scan. Things were able to be put into place to look after him and now he has not been sick and has no permanant damage to his kidneys because they were able to monitor him before he got 'sick'

We can check for all sorts of problems and the sooner you know, even if there is downs syndrome or another trisomy, the sooner you can put things into place to help once the baby is born.

Do it! say hello to ya little one.

I would do it just to say hello to the little one.

Melanie - posted on 01/20/2011

Wow, I can't believe how deluded some of you are, you can not say you wouldnt have an abortion regardless of results, you don't that until your in that position! So many of you think because your young it's not necessary, that's ridiculous! I was 25 when my son was born, he has down syndrome, in the group we go to, there is 7 children with downs all but 1 where in their 20's when pregnant. Here's a fact for you all, 80% of all down syndrome children are born to mothers in their 20's. I love my son so much but had I known I would have aborted!

Shanna - posted on 01/20/2011

I got it done with both of mine. My dr knew I wouldn't abort anyways but suggested it so we would know how to plan for the delivery.

Joanne - posted on 01/20/2011

I am really worried that some people seem to think your chance of having a child with downs is linked to family history! There are 3 types of doen syndrome and only 1 is genetic and that is very rare. Get your facts stright!

Joanne - posted on 01/20/2011

I had it and the blood test both failed to pick up my sons downs. I wish I had known would have saved alot of stress at the start could have read up before hand. Love him to pieces but would have liked to know. And the average age to have a child with downs is 28. They factor your age into the blood results to give your chances.

Jennifer - posted on 01/20/2011

I'm sorry I have to respond again. This test it not just about the Down Syndrome. It could raise a flag for spina bifida or if it's neither of these it could show that the placenta is not functioning as it should- which is what happened in my case. So it's not about sucking it up and loving the baby whatever happens. If I hadn't had this test I wouldn't have a baby to love- because of the special montoring that comes after this test we were able to know that things were not progressing as they should and steps could be taken to ensure survival.

Peggy - posted on 01/20/2011

You should check with your insurance company and see how many U/S they approve. My Insurance has approved 18 because I was labeled as "high risk" due to my age. I am 14 weeks and have had 3 U/S so far. I have another one scheduled at 16 weeks. I could have had the 12 week done for the D/S testing but we chose NOT to... God has blessed us with a baby and NO matter what any outcome of the heath we will suck it up, press on and LOVE our baby just the same as our other 2. My step sister had a bay in her 20's with CP. He has been a blessing to our family and has taught the other kids in the family to NEVER feel uncomfortable around people with defects. I dont understand why people think you only need to worry if your "older".. 18 yr olds have babies with D/S. I am 40 and will be 41 when I have my 3rd baby and even then yes the chances are greater of having a D/S baby but its ONLY a 2%... so its still a 98% chance everything will be okay. But the bottom line is NO Doc can MAKE you get the scan if you DONT want it.. it is YOUR body, YOUR baby... YOUR choice!!! PERIOD!! Even at my "age" my Genetic Counselor, U/S Doc and OB Doctor were all okay with my husband & I opting out of the 12 week D/S Scan. Not one of them tried to change our mind and talk us into it nor tried telling us I HAD to have it. I think that Doc just wants to get paid the $ for it. Like I said I have been authorized 18 U/S and the U/S doc isnt trying to abuse it... just doing the scans to make sure the pregnancy is going in the way it should. Good luck and always know you do have a voice in what happens to you and your body!!

Jennifer - posted on 01/20/2011

I had it done and was flagged for potential spina bifida. I was put in "high-risk" and got an ultrasound every month. Eventually the spina bifida was ruled out but was monitored anyway to see what had caused the test to show positve. The entirety of my pregnancy my baby was small and by 35weeks she had not grown at all in a week and had to be delivered via C-section. If I had not done this test, my doctors and I would not have known that she wasn't growing and she probably would have been still-born. If at 35 weeks she wasn't growing she would have started to starve to death inside. Get the test even if you have no intention of terminating based on results.

Sarah - posted on 01/20/2011

Yuck. Sorry you had such a bad experience.

Samantha - posted on 01/20/2011

I did not have the scan, but did have the blood test and wish I had not. The blood test result was a false positive for spina bifida. I had an u/s where they looked specifically at the spinal column after the result, but opted not to have the amnio the doctors offered. It just wasn't worth the risk of m/c for what could be a false positive (and it was). After getting the high blood test result the pregnancy was very stressful and medically managed.

Mandy - posted on 01/20/2011

The question it seems like you might want to consider are: what tests are you talking about. Blood work, ultrasound, or amniocentesis. Then ask yourself the risks of the procedure? None for blood and ultrasound that I know about but there is a risk of spontaneous miscarriage for the amnio. Then, what would you do with the information? Do you really feel the need to "maybe" know. What is the accuracy of the test and the likelihood of false information? What would you do if the information said positive and turned out the baby was fine? Vice Versa. for you does the Benefit (getting prepared?) outweigh the risks if any depends on the test you are talking about getting. Then, does that doctor suit your needs? maybe he/she is not right for you might be an issue. I love reading everyone's stories. good luck to you all.

Amy - posted on 01/20/2011

Well, it might depend on what you would do with the information. For me...I love my kids for who they are, not for who I want them to be and I would never have them killed if they weren't absolutely perfect...so for me, it wouldn't matter. If it's not harmful to the baby, then why not do it? It's special to get extra glimpses of your baby before he/she is born. =)

Dawn - posted on 01/20/2011

I once worked with a woman who already had 1 child with Down's (and she was 21/22 when she had that child).
When a scan of her 4th child said it looked like Down's again, they asked if she wanted to abort and she said "why? I already know how to deal with it" When she had the baby, the baby was healthy. No Down's.

Then there is my middle child. All of my tests showed normal, yet she has special needs due to mitochondrial disease. It's nothing that would have shown up in routine tests... it took us 2 1/2 years of testing to finally get her diagnosed.

So when I got pregnant for the 3rd time, my husband and I were in agreement that we would accept whatever God handed us (as our daughter's mito. disease is a spontaneous thing and not inherited). We now have a healthy baby boy.

I think it comes down to whether or not you would abort. If not, then why worry yourself? As for 'being prepared,' well, I wasn't prepared for my daughter, but I got with the program pretty quickly when problems showed up.

Good luck with your decision :)

Ruth Taisha - posted on 01/20/2011

I was 21 at the time I chose to do the tests and expecting Baby #3. The Tests was positive for Down Syndrome and I still decided to keep my son. My son was born 11/2006 and was a premature Baby w/ no signs of Down Syndrome... Now he's 4yrs old and perfectly healthy and still no signs of Down Syndrome.

Christina - posted on 01/20/2011

Wow that seems ridiculous ... seeing as how the incidence of downs doesn`t start to escalate till mid-thirties+. There is risk to the procedure and it must be weighed against limited probabilities of a down syndrome occurrence. Lastly what if you are carrying a downs child? Would you abort - terminate the pregnancy? You need to know the answer to that question before you even think about the procedure. If your answer is no then why place your pregnancy at risk? I had the same options 18 years ago and I was pregnant at 38 my choice was no need for that procedure and so I was blessed with a healthy baby girl. That is not everyone`s story, but it was a brilliant scientist who pointed out that risks like having amniocentesis presents a risk on it`s own and must be added to probabilities of other risks occurring. Good luck.

Mandy - posted on 01/20/2011

I agree with the it is good to be prepared idea but you may prepare yourself and be overly anxious during a hormonally challenging time with no reason. So... it depends on the person. If you are a I really need to be prepared kinda person, go ahead. Just realize, the test are not always accurate and You don't HAVE to do it! It is your choice.

Mindi - posted on 01/20/2011

We only did the testing with one of our children. I have 4. My twins were first... THEN, we had child with Ds... then we did the testing for the 4th, only to prepare. I will tell you, even if we did do the testing with our child with Ds, we would not have done anything about it. He's the most amazing person in my life!

I suggest getting the testing, only to prepare, just in case. Finding out 30 minutes before you take baby home wasn't the most ideal situation... :\

Sheila - posted on 01/20/2011

I chose not to have any of the extra tests for Down's Syndrome, etc. during my pregnancies. I knew we would love our babies regardless of any handicaps or birth defects. We have two precious little girls. One is "normal" and one is autistic. I would never have asked for my child to have a disability, but I wouldn't change her for anything. She is extra challenging, but extra precious too. Caring for a special needs child can be hard, but God promises us His strength and grace if we ask Him.

Mandy - posted on 01/20/2011

There is no reason you HAVE to get it. The results are so inaccurate anyway. There is a high percentage to get a false positive with the blood work.The ultra sound only finds markers which can say your baby may have down sydrome when he/she does not. If you would have the baby anway, and you are young and it does not run in either family.... seriously why is she pushing it?
I am 37 and just had my second so I had to have a sonogram by the neonatalogist anyway due to my age. It is a stronger sonogram, shows more details and I thought it would be nice anyway. I was really looking forward to it for that reason. But, it actually was not as good as the regular sonogram I had for my first. They had it so detailed the baby looked like a skeleton and I was really disappointed from that perspective. But good from the perspective of showing them, the doctor, the details of the heart etc. But, I did not do the blood work especially with the percentage of false positive results being so high. I don't remember the percentage but I remember it is VERY high. Hope that helps.

Andrea - posted on 01/20/2011

The real meaning of an abortion is murder. If you suspected via the test that your baby wasn't perfect, would murder your child ?

Sarah - posted on 01/20/2011

I definitely think it's a difficult choice - but at the age of 25 I do not think a doctor should imply it is mandatory. Same thing with the flu shot. A friend of mine's doctor told her she had to get the h1n1 last year & a month later she had a miscarriage. Studies are finding there was a 700% increase in miscarriages after the mothers received h1n1 vaccine (please note I am specifically referring to h1n1). I think it is irresponsible of doctors to take an already sensitive person & make that person believe falsely that they have no choice- that's my point. It's a personal choice to get screened & it all depends what the parent/s choose to do with the information. I was responding to her apprehension for being told it was mandatory.

Kymberly - posted on 01/20/2011

I disagree. We got a lot of "well would you abort?" and I think that's an overly simplistic response.

Some people would want to know to be prepared. Birthing strategies are often different. Specialists would be standing by. I am a person who would have had a stack of library books and a support group all set up and standing by in order to feel "ready."

If some people can take the Zen "what will be will be" attitude I commend them for it. Others (like me) are worriers and planners and need to KNOW.

Sarah - posted on 01/20/2011

I am pregnant with my second & will barely be 35 when baby is born. My husband & I chose not to get screened. It's not mandatory & unless it runs in your family, don't even worry about it! Shame in doctors for making us pregnant mothers worry about anything more than we already do!

Martha - posted on 01/20/2011

I was willing to undergo the test b/c my husband has a cousin who has down's. However, he said he did not feel it was needed because we would go through with the pregnancy either way. I did not regret not having it done. Plus our insurance would not have covered the extra test. My son was fine. But for you, you must make the decision based on what you want. If you are worried and the test will ease your fears, then do it. But you must think about what you would do if it comes back positive. Also sometimes there are false positives. Many factors to consider. Good luck!

Meredith - posted on 01/20/2011

i had the scan to see my baby and hear her heart beat but I refused to have the blood test. i think if there is a problem, you will spend all your pregnancy worrying about it and it may not happen . I didnt want to know because I would have had my daughter anyway. I am at a higher risk being older but I wanted ehr anyway

Suzi - posted on 01/20/2011

i would look at it this way......if you found out that your child had down syndrome would you abort?
if the answer is no then there is no need to go through this scan as it won't make a difference.

Kymberly - posted on 01/20/2011

I had it (was 28). It flagged as "high risk" and sent us down a path of stress, tears, worry (I'm not a patient "wait and see" type). We ended up having an amnio and our son, now 13, is healthy. Back in 1997 they weren't up front about how WRONG these usually are, so the minute the red flags went up, I went into full panic mode. Today I might still choose to have it, but I'd be much more "meh" about the results - which are often, OFTEN, wrong. Good luck!

Tamara - posted on 01/20/2011

I did get mine down at 12wk, i think its best if you get it done sooner rather than later.

Natalie - posted on 01/19/2011

Actually even if the amnio test result is positive, it does not mean that your child has downs syndrome. The tests only tells you if your child has a high risk of being a down syndrome baby. It also does not mean that if you won't abort a baby with down syndrome therefore there is no need for you to do this test as if your baby is of high risk, they are supposed to monitor the progress of your baby more. Everyone should be aware that this test is not compulsory and if you join the prenatal groups, you should be informed of this. It is ideal for parents to understand it can happen to anyone and of any age, it is just that it is more likely to happen to older mothers whether it is your first child or not.

Spring - posted on 01/19/2011

In the states they start by doing a blood test and if it comes back positive they do other tests. Having said that, no I didn't get the blood test done. I was 31 and it was my first, and only, child. I declined based on the fact that there is no guarantee with these tests and it just causes undue stress. Plus, if it does come back positive for something you have to go through other tests and then they ask you to make a choice about continuing the pregnancy. Ridiculous! In my mind it didn't matter as I wasn't going to terminate and you really can't prepare yourself for something like that because the test cannot tell how severe the problem is going to be anyway. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Lisa - posted on 01/19/2011

I got it with my daughter, but it did not help any. Didn't show anything and we have struggled with a chromosome deletion and all the medical problems that come with it. We had no warning, but there was no way we would abort anyway. I am almost 35 weeks with my second and I refused all testing. We are havign our baby no matter what so I didn't want to put myself through testing that doesn't give you a yes or no, but just gives you a high or low risk. I didn't want to add to my stress

Desiree - posted on 01/19/2011

When I was preg I got all the routine bloodwork and sonograms but not the nuchal translucency or any tests involving taking blood/fluids from the baby.
I had my baby at 26 and my doc told me that the down syndrome tests wasn't necessary for low-risk mums but if you want to (due to family/personal health history or for peace of mind, whatever), go ahead.
Personally I didn't want any risk for the foetus caused by something that could've been avoided (nuchal scans does have its risks) and I would've kept my baby regardless so I figured why bother testing.