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Hi! I am 21wks and at 16 weeks got "the call" saying my quad screen came back with a 1 in 10 risk of Down Syndrome. My u/s at 18 weeks was perfectly normal with no markers at all and I am scheduled for a repeat u/s at 22 weeks. I have decided not to do an aminio even if the 2nd u/s shows signs of DS. For me the risk of a miscarriage from amnio (1 in 200) is still "higher" than the risk of having a child with DS. I would not terminate my pregnancy regardless. I talked to my OB and told her that unless she needed that information prior to delivery, I was not going to have the amnio done. She said it was not necessary and she felt that if I could handle the uncertainty of not knowing then the amnio was unnecessary. I am going to contact a few local DS organizations just to get an idea of what steps I should take IN CASE I have a baby (we know it is a girl!) with DS, but other than that I am not going to do anything but enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. I think the important thing for anyone to decide is how well could they deal with not knowing. The risk of amnio is very small (there is another thread on here somewhere that talks about amnio experiences) and other than some discomfort not painful. Make up your mind for YOU not for what people think you should do. Good luck!

I got "the call" 2 days ago. I am 38 and 20 weeks preggy, bloodwork came back with a 1 in 115 risk of downs. My u/s at 18 weeks also came back perfect, I go on feb 1st to the specialist for another u/s. I HATE this waiting!

steph, you have a great att_tude. I have not had any of the early screenings yet..Im 15wks.. im having level 2 u/s at 20wks and the quad screening. Im 42yrs old and feel if I have a child w/DS, I will deal with it. I remember reading a story about a mom w/a DS child, and she said how guilty and badly she now feels that the pregnancy and birth was so full of sadness..Because as it turned out, her child brings her nothing but joy!. Im sure our babies will be fine! Best of luck to kmararaney and lillmomma 2.

thanks guys :) I have an appt on Monday now, finally ;) so I think I have another blood test and an ultrasound...will see what happens after that good luck to everyone :)

Hey -- someone on the 2nd trimester board said i could find some info on this board even though i'm not over 35 (i'm 27). I just got the high risk call from my doctor... 1:17 he said! I am completely devastated i guess simply b/c i was not at all expecting this. It seems that there is a high false positive rate for those over 35... i need to research this to find out if that is true also for someone my age. I have a Level II U/S scheduled for tomorrow to look for other DS markers. I really don't want the amnio. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you!

TamaraAngel, i had a ratio of 1:13 for d/s the same as a 47yr old woman i'm only 34. the first 28 hrs after being told were very upsetting , I called the lab and spoke to a genetic counsllor. After 20 mins of speaking with her i repeatedly asked her if the test was 100% and at no point could she confirm that is was. She keep telling me it was projected. So i want you to also remember that THIS TEST IS NOT 100% and is projected.basically in a computer program they put your age at delivery and from the blood work the test also measures three components: AFP (alpha-fetoprotein), hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) and estriol. These are made by the baby or placenta and can be found in the mother’s blood to give the ratio. I like you did not want the amnio but it was strongly suggested. I still refused. I had 2 u/s, one at 17wks and the other at 23wks. they looked for the markers, nose and neck folds. They also looked at the baby's heart as babies w/ d/s tend to have a larger heart and beat differently. my lil guy is fine by all 4 check points but the chance is still there. but like the genetic councllor and dr told me ..... 1 baby out of 13 will have downs which I totally except. take care

Diann thank you for your post. How far along are you now? Everything i've read says you're right, that it's not 100%. I'm scared to death about the level II u/s tomorrow. I pray that, like yours, there are no markers for DS. I just feel like i can't take much more heartache... my BF and i broke up when i was 9 weeks pregnant and i haven't heard from him since, i was at first carrying twins and lost one, my pap showed a bacteria infection, and now this. I just pray the u/s goes well tomorrow... i'm long overdue for some good news already!

TamaraAngel , currently I'm 29wk 4d+. The biggest thing to remember that if you're upset so is your bean. try to relax for it's sake. And think positive, 1:17 isn't 1:5. Nope it isn't 1:500 but hey the test isn't 100%. When it comes to the amnio you have to go with your heart. i would first have the u/s if pointers were found then consider the amnio. but this is only a thing that you can deside on. I also have a 15yr old ds who i've raised on my own. he's not perfect he has autism w/ adhd linked with depression. I've fought for everything he has needed and continue to do so. If the things my ds has were able to be detected in a test would i have conitued with the pregnancy? my answer without even needing to think on it...... is with out a doubt my son has made me a better person which is a thousand times better then having a PERFECT child. And this new baby i carry may also not be perfect but obviously it was ment to be. so i except it. (just so you know neither of my children have the same father) So i know life sucks but you were blessed with a bundle of joy that is all yours. As for the ex-bf ...it's his lose. find someone (sister/mom/best friend) who you know will be there for the 2 of you, who you can share these experiences with and cry with. for tomorrow, one thing you can look forward to during the u/s if the positioning is correct you may find out just what your lil bean is. Some techs have no problem with sharing the s_x of the baby some do have issues. Ask questions during the u/s, the s_x being one of them, ask about the nose and neck folds, ask if you can have a copy of the u/s (baby's first picture). : - ) ! take care

Just a little update: Well... i saw the specialist today and had the level II ultrasound done. The doctor said she can't rule out Down Syndrome but depending on how many red flags she found, she would strongly recommend the amnio. Luckily she didn't find any! All of the measurements were as they should be, and there were no markers for DS. The baby was very active which she said showed great muscle development. The spine and heart all looked good. The baby waved, gave the peace sign, and stuck his tongue out at us!! Lol... it's all on video. And -- IT'S A BOY! I feel so relieved. I know that there is still the chance of DS but the chance is no longer 1:17 she said. And she does not recommend the amnio. Yay! Most importantly is that he looks very healthy. I wish all of you who have had the same scare, some peace of mind. Best of luck to all of you for healthy pregnancies!! :o)

TamaraAngel, glad to hear your appt when well. are they scheduling you for another u/s in 6wks to check on you're lil boys progress again?

OOPS! sorry got happy fingers! ask cause that is what they did for me- first u/s at 17 wks and another at 23wks. take care

Hhmm... i'm not sure... you mean another appnt with the specialist for a level II or just a reg u/s? I'll ask my doc...

did they say to schedule a follow-up for the specialist? i guess it also depends on where your from. I'm in canada and typically you only get 1 u/s unless there are issues...high blood pressure, placeta placement, the d/s ratio etc. and so far i have had 3....2 for the d/s, one for high blood pressure and my 4th is in 3wks for the placenta placement.

hi TamaraAngel. Glad to hear things went well. I was just about to post an update as well--- I was all worried and stressed about the blood work (turns out the dr's office did the test early which is why it was abnormal) and when I went to the perinatal everything looked fine at the 2nd ultrasound (hands waving, etc. normal brain size)...they said the hands being open is a good sign because clenched hands usually show a symptom of DS. anyway..the point is, they asked if I wanted to redo all the blood tests and I said no. We had already decided that we didnt want the amnio due to the risk and the fact that we still would keep the baby, so the genetic counselor and I agreed that getting more tests and more risks, false positives, etc. would just be more stressful. hopefully this makes everyone getting these silly tests done feel better :) what did our moms do??? they were fine!!!

Oh Kmaraney that's great news! If i could "re-do" the test i would choose not to also. It's not worth the stress.

How long did you have to wait for the test from you AFP/Triple or Quad screen results to come back. I had my blood drawn for it today. Im fully expecting to get a high risk result based on my age alone. Then I guess decisions will have to be made. I have my u/s schedule in 2 wks..