15 weeks pregnant and blood screening shows im in high risk group

[indiebird]

I am 15 weeks pregnant and was wandering if anyone has had a down syndrome screening and then had a phone call telling them they are in a high risk group etc?? I really don't know what to do as they have said I can have a few things done,one of which can cause miscarrige and i just don't know what to do.... any advice would be great.... thank you

[roxannacar]

I've never personally been in this position but think trying to be logical helps. I think finally it depends on what you would do if baby does have Down syndrome. If you would consider an abortion then getting more info about the tears make sense. If you would not have abortion then maybe having the test makes less sense. However I think the most important thing is to get all the info you need including what kind of miscarriage risk they are talking about. I heard there also a private test which checks babies Dna from your blood test (hence no risk). Might be worth looking into that?

[ElinaKa]

Mine was in low risk group, but before I got test results I always had in back of my head what would I do if my Pregnancy is in high risk of Down.

Before even test results came back we had a chat with my partner and we agreed that neither of us are mentally that strong to do it. What we agreed was- as we are in late 20ties we would have another chance to have baby just if this one does not go by plan.

I would suggest to speak with the health professional and see what they say, what is the risk of having a test, on NHS website it state that risk is only 1%.

[Rocky23]

Hi - I was in a similar position to you a couple of months ago, so I have an idea of how you are feeling. I opted for a further test and thankfully the results came back as normal.

Although my scan looked normal my blood results put me in the higher risk category for Edwards syndrome (T18) which they test for along with Downs & Patau's syndromes.

We felt we wanted to know for certain rather than wait for a later scan (we didn't know what we would do in the event of a positive result) and opted to have a CVS test done at 14 weeks which although unpleasant didn't hurt as such. I think after 14 weeks you can have an amniocentesis which I think is similar but has a slightly lower risk of miscarriage.

Our results came back 3 working days later (which involved a weekend of uncertainty), and luckily confirmed the all clear for all 3 syndromes that they test for.

Although we were in the higher risk category the chances of a positive result from our screening test results were around 1:60, so tried to be positive while we waited for CVS results, easier said than done...

The CVS procedure had around a 1% chance of miscarriage, which really worried me and I took 3 days off work to 'take it easy' afterwards. I was still worried about that after we'd had the results back - right up until I heard the baby's heart beat at my 16 week appointment. At our 20 week scan, everything appeared to be normal.

It is a very personal decision on whether to have further tests given the risks and the decisions it could possibly leave you facing. Very best of luck with whatever you choose and I really hope everything is ok xxx

[2Baby2019 in reply to Rocky23]

Hi I’m sorry to ask I’ve just seen ur post as I searched for cvs test. I understand you posted 2 years ago and may not be on here any more

[Rocky23 in reply to 2Baby2019]

Hi yep still on here, my baby was fine & is now nearly 2, I also have an 8 week old as well now, who wasn't high risk for anything. Can't really give any more advice than above, if you are worried maybe look into harmony test which is done from a blood test xxxx

[2Baby2019 in reply to Rocky23]

I had a blood test done yesterday for the downs test is that different to the harmony test?

[Rocky23 in reply to 2Baby2019]

I'm not sure, if depends where in the country you I think. I had a standard combined screening for downs, Edwards and patau syndrome which was nuchal scan plus blood test, and it was the combined results of those which showed a 'high' risk (for Edwards syndrome). I don't think harmony is available on nhs but it might be in some areas x

[Thekaz032]

I got asked the same because of my age (38). Ask yourself would you do anything if the results were positive. If the answer is no then don't have the test. They can di it at your 20 week scan anyway

[GingerAcorns]

Have you looked into the harmony test? It is non'invasive and conclusive test.

[Hidden]

Hi, you have to do what you feel most comfortable with and consider everything carefully. I chose not to have this test as I am 38 with my 4th child and we have 2 kids with autism, autism doesn't show up in the womb and that a pretty difficult disability to cope with, especially with my youngest who has it severely. Everyone has their own reasons if they can or can't have a special needs child. For me personally I could but it's not a decision to take lightly and what is right for one woman may not be for the next. Just keep an open mind, listen to everything and make the right choice for you x