It's me again....

What was everyones Down Syndrome risk?

Age related risk is 1 in 950, and individual risk is 1 in 4500.

Is this good or bad??

[Ljameson]

Do you automatically get tested for that?? I'm in Northern Ireland and its never been mentioned? I also don't get the 16week appointment, 12week scan and next thing is the 20week one....

[Hidden in reply to Ljameson]

You can pay for it privately..I had to 5 Years ago when they didn't do it as routine. .. It's around £130 x

[Hidden]

ljameson, when u have ur 12 week scan here in England u get asked if u want it, if u do u just have a blood test then they give u figures like above and then go from there. x

[Hidden]

Mine had low risk stamped on mine is that all it said on urs ?

[Carren]

That's good news--high risk is 1 in 100. If they were worried, they would have offered you amnio to find out for sure.

[Hidden]

Ok, it's says low risk on my letter, but my friends was 1 in 33000 and she was 28, so 2 years younger.

Which result do I go by, first or 2nd?

I recieved results in post today, and I have my midwife appointment a week wed, so hopefully she'll talk me through it.

LJameson - why don't they do this in Ireland?! Surely it's offered as a matter of course.

[Hidden]

U go by the second the first one is ur risk due to ur age but the second is the risk that came back after your bloods were done so that's great!

[Ljameson]

I asked my sister about it there as she had a baby a yr ago and she seemed to think the only really offered it if ur over 40 but she's not sure. I'm sure u can request it, or pay for it but I feel it should be offered! Ah well! I'm glad ur low risk duppy!

[ritz21]

I dint go for the down syndrome scan - only 28 years, first pregnancy plus no one in the family in generations had a down syndrome from either side. Biggest worry was if they say you are high risk - what do you do next (I think its a genetic disorder and there is nothing much you can do about it, except take few more tests to confirm if the baby is OK - and what if the baby is not actually ok? what do you do with it ?) So we decided we would stay away from getting into those kind of intelligent knowledge - because there is nothing much we would do even if we know it

[Armywag]

i'm 39 and my result was 1:6,600. They didn't specify an age related risk on my letter but for my age it supposed to be around 1:130!

The test is meant to be routine across the UK according to all the information I received but you have to choose to have it; it's not automatic as some people would prefer not to have it. You certainly don't have to pay for it.

Age doesn't always come in to it. A friend of mine had her first at 22 and her risk then was 1:2,000 and her second at 25 was 1:100,000. Another friend who had her first at 43 was 1:8,200!

Think about it percentage wise; 1:4500 works out at a risk of 0.02% Minimal risk

[cupc4ke10]

I'm with ritz21 and haven't had any of the tests, my midwife told us that the tests are not definitive and could be wrong so we didn't see the point in torturing ourselves (my cousin was told after testing her daughter would have downs and she's abs fine) x

[Megzey]

I haven't had the downs test and never did with my other 2. How old are you (if you dont mind me asking)? Have you got downs in your family?

I just refused it as I thought they put something in your belly button to the baby, I dont know if this is true or not, I dont even know how they test for it.

[Hidden]

I also ( like megzey) refused the downs syndrome test because not only do i consider myselfvto be at a low risk age (32) but the thought of having someone insert a needle through my stomach "going to the baby" makes me feel uneasy & very uncomfortable.

If you dont mind me asking how old are you ?

Its obviously a decision you are entitled to take as a mother to be but personally i like to allow nature to take its natural course.

xx

[Hidden]

I'm only 29 and no downs in my family. I only had the nuchal screening as part of the process, so wasn't planning on having a needle put in my stomach, that's for sure... Urgh!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I see, Ive thought about getting the Nuchal screening done in this pregnancy, but then i thought about the possiblity of getting the results i wouldnt like to hear & then be stuck & confused about what to do next.

xx

[amf40]

Hi my little input, age 40, the cut off shows 1:150, and my result was 1:1340, which my midwife at the time seemed happy with, but seeing the above results has made me think twice? Theres no history of downs in either side of the family, but this is our first so been a bit nervous all the way through, on top of that also had bad LFT results and got g-diabetes, was all going well now seems im on a slippery slope and being monitored every 4 day's! Currently 33+2 so role on the next 6.5 week's!

[Chipper]

If you got your result by letter that means you are low risk, as well as the fact it says you're low risk. If you are considered high risk, they give you your results by phone 2-3 days following the lab analysis and talk through your options. So you can safely assume you are at low risk. Unlike myself.....

[Megzey]

Is Down Sydrome an age related risk then?? I dont really understand how they class people as high & low risk? If a lady is above a certain age and gets pregnant why is she classed as a higher risk than someone else. I just dont get it tbh.

[hippolike]

Hi there

Babymother is right - Downs is related to age, but it's just a factor. So you get a risk factor based on age, but then they test your bloods and the results alter your overall risk. The post-bloods result is the important one. They won't recommend an amnioscentesis (needle) - which would give you a definitive result - unless you get a high post-bloods result. As I understand it, this is because the procedure involves a risk of miscarriage of about 1 in 100 (though this may be lower in some hospitals), so unless your risk of Downs is around that level, it's not advisable. 1 in 4500 sounds like a very low risk result.