Nuchal Traslucency Ultrasound Scan?

My cousin has downs, and my DH loves her, they get along really well. We both work with people with intellectual disabilities and know how crap the care is (outside of family, although I know plenty of people who never get to see their family) and know how intense it is having the life long responsibility of having a child with downs. Saying that I can not imagine life with out my cousin, and I love her to bits.
We decided that we would have the scan as even if bubs had a high risk of downs that I would want to nkow and prepare, being our first baby you have a picture in your head of how things will be and if it was going to be different to that then I need to know (and get armed with support networks and information)
I hope that my post makes sense and doesnt offend, it is just the thoughts that went through my/our heads when thinking about it.
Its a totally personal decision, so good luck!

Emmi - you didn't offend at all! I know what you mean about crap care for people with disabilities. My brother is very lucky that both my parents are very dedicated and involved in his care and he stays at "home" every weekend, they live about a 10 hour drive from me so I don't get to see him much, but talk to him regularly and he emails all the time.

I'm not sure why DH wants to have the test, I just got my haunches up and got all protective when he said it, so maybe just need to chill out a bit and ask him why.

I do understand what you mean about having the test to be prepared if it is the case, I just don't want to be "forced" into aborting if it's the case. It's not 100% accurate anyway.

I was just talking to DH and I'm considering making a formal complaint, the Radiologist was really lovely, however I believe it's irresponsible what she told me, esp if she's saying this to people who have no prior knowledge of Downs....

Telling me that because of my advanced maternal age and family history (it's not hereditary, damn it!) that I should consider having it done.

Thanks ladies, I'll have a chat to DH tomorrow when I'm a bit more chilled out.

Hiya,

I can totally understand you not wanting it.. I had the scan but didnt care one way or the other what the test said..

With that said, I am not sure I would be making a complaint a very small number of people with downs it IS herediatary and given that 35 + is condsidered a geriatric mother (medically speaking) and you are nearly 30 the maternal age comment was not totally out of line but certainly not at high risk age.

Hope that doesnt sound mean, cant quite get the words out with the nice friendly facial expressions and tones....

I definately would be speaking to your DH though hun about why he wants the test done. He may not be so confident as you....

I think you need to talk to your DH about the what ifs, if he actually would want to terminate then thats something that you guys need to work out, if hes ok with there being a high chance of downs and would just like the extra weeks to prepare himself then you need to know that. If he actually would be considering terminating then you (IMO) need to have the scan so he can either get used to the idea of having a possible downs baby or work out where to go from there (or breath a sigh of relief when it gives you a low risk )
Again I hope it makes sense! I seem to go around in circles sometimes!

I was also told with my second I should have it cos of my age and I was 28 as well.

We had the nuchal scan and also the anatomy scans with both children and my mw with our first was anti them, she figured if you weren't going to terminate if there was a problem then why do it.
We would not terminate (for our own moral reasons) but we had the scans with the idea that we would know in advance if anything was wrong so we could put things in place. There are some things that can be picked up that means you already get referred to specialists whilst pregnant, that you deliver at the right place with the right people there ready.

I would talk to him about why he wants it, maybe he would just like to know before the babies birth if there is a greater possibility of a problem. You should probably also talk about what you will do if the scan puts you as high risk because if you do have it and you are deemed high risk after the scan then they will probably offer you an amnio or cvs to find out for sure and that is another decision you would then need to make and the amnio/cvs carries a risk of miscarriage so it's pretty serious.

Good luck either way

nzpiper wrote: All I can add is...have the scan...you get to see your baby

Ditto
Its lovely seeing your lil bubba floating/kicking around! 20 weeks is such a loonnggg time to wait lol

Im going to go to the entirely other end of the spectrum and say that DH and I had decided that if Ty, or the next baby showed signs of disabilities in the nuchal scan , we WOULD have considered terminating, we are not heartless people , we both have siblings who are moderately to severely autistic and we have seen how much our parents have struggled, no , I wouldn't change my sister for the world, but she is hard work at times , I don't know how my folks manage tbh, and DH's brother is even harder work , they have their rewards, yes, and are loving people, but we just don't have the patience and Caitlyn (and now Tyler ) are the ones who we would focus on first .


In saying all that , the main reason we had the scan , was to see baby ,my daughter's father and stepmum have a baby a week older than Ty, and didn't have the nuchal scan , he is Downs, and while they wouldn't have terminated as it goes against their beliefs, she says it would have been nice to have time to prepare a bit .

I think you should talk to your DH and find out what his concerns are, also ,remember that you have known your brother his entire life and its most likely the norm for you , whereas your DH hasn't, and understandably he may have some worries and fears about it , so be open to hearing what he has to say , you are the one with knowledge about Downs, so let him ask questions and give him honest answers .

Finally , the nuchal scan is not compulsory , you don't have to do it , so if you and DH talk and feel that you would rather not , noone can make you do it, just like noone can force you to terminate

Goodluck in your decision

Oh, and on the age thing? I was referred for the NT scan as a matter of course, and I'm only 26! I just thought they did it for everyone nowdays if they wanted, p'raps I was wrong?

I got offered one at 19 lol I think having the scan is almost becoming standard practice these days.

Anyway with the scan it only gives you a chance of having it ratio so it isn't really going to tell you anything definite anyway. Good luck with your decision

Anyone at any age can have a child with down syndrome or any disability. the risk does increase as you get older. I was 29 when we had our scan had it as wanted to see baby, had the scan with DS1 as well. Anyway the scan was done and the guy said by the way the nuchal fold looks thick,

He did the calculations and the risk was 1:250, anyhting under 300 is considered high risk.

We were suprised as being high risk, i was 29. We would never terminate, our beliefs are pro life. i did the scan only to see baby, to see our miracle.

But wanted to be prepared just in case, i did lots research.What i wasn't prepared for was family members responses, so awful and unsupportive.

we also had the blood tests, which came back at a risk of 1:6,000.

The scan with teh blood tests is more accurate, but you don't need to do both unless the risk comes back high. My sister did both she's 37 but her risk afte the scan was so low. It's personal choice.

After this stress, we have decided not to do the 12 week scan with the next baby the stress is not worth it. Besides we would love the baby what ever happens. I have a cousin with high special needs and love him to bits!

do what's right for you, would knowing help or stress you out or vise versa??

Edited by Milo1