Amnio and fetal age

[Niki61]

my 37 year old daughter is pregnant and is not sure when. She will be having amnio due to her age and a test that showed a possibility of DS.  Can the amnio give age of fetus?
thanks, Niki61

[fashionbug]

U might want to reconsider your 'refusal' - especially the part of 'if my child has Downs sydndrome it doesnt matter' Why do u think they have these tests? Because Down syndrome is a terrible condition- many parts of the body can be affected and u may have a 'lifetime' of angst- despite your best intentions to 'love'...I just got back my poor results from the 'triple test' which shows a 1 in 50 chance of getting Down Syndrome (Im 39)  and although I was very hesitant to agree to the amnio at first , my  husband calmly convinced me that the benefits of knowing the result -as an amnio is 99.9 % accurate- far outweigh the small 1 in 200 chance of miscarriage-which is much better than to play 'ostrich' and bury your head in the sand and then just 'hope for the best'        :)

[popeyesgirl06]

The measurement is an estimate but usually pretty close. I would say this is a big baby but you did say she has gestational diabetes which can cause large babys therefore the reason for the controlled diet and usually insulin shots.
The amnio, from what I understand, is great for detecting abnormalities, if any. The ultrasounds are pretty on the money as for due dates, not the amnio.

Good luck on being a Grandma its a very different feeling if this is your first. I have two and I am  having a  baby due in less than 30 days. Best wishes to you and yours.

[Niki61]

My daughter is preg.  amnio due to age and one test showed high risk for ds, plus, preeclamp., gestional diabetes, high blood pressure.  Problem is has had to change doctor due to move, and baby size per doctor is approx. 38 wks.  Baby is not due until 11/7/08.  What I am asking is does the amnio show actual fetal age or is this just a big baby?
Niki 61

[Helen72]

Since your daughter have not had amnio (or so it looks like from the info you provided) she just tested positive for RISK of DS.  Risk does not always translate into DS; baby can still be OK.
Also, an u/s will tell you how far along the baby is in terms of weeks and due date.

[PamelaBee]

Hi!  Ok, a couple questions...1st--Are you saying your daughter is pregnant, but you don't know how many weeks along she is?  Or, you don't know when the baby is due? 2nd--If she is planning to have an amnio, that does not usually occur til much later in her pregnancy 14-20wks.  Although, I believe in certain situations, it can be done sooner or later than the time I mentioned.  3rd--Has your daughter been seen by an OB/GYN?  They can tell her the age (in weeks) of the fetus, long before an amnio is performed.  There is also a genetic test called CVS (similar to amnio) but is done closer to 11 weeks pregnant and is an option to detect any genetic/chromosone abnormalities.  Both of these tests Amnio/CVS come with a slight risk of miscarriage.  And last, is there any reason your daughter is choosing to have an amnio other than her advanced maternal age (risk of DS, etc) and to find out the age of her fetus?