High risk for Down's

[alliew]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help? I've just received the results of my double test - AFP .38 MoM, HCG 0.75 MoM. 1:112 risk of Downs - I am 36. I have been told that the HCG is normal, but that the AFP is low.

I have more or less decided against an amnio - I would not terminate if any problems anyway.

I am trying to work out whether it would be worth paying privately for the quadruple test as I've read that the results are more accurate than HCG and AFP alone (I did not have a Nuchal Scan) - or if the low AFP would give me a high risk anyway?

Also - I've had 2 previous pregnancies, and when I was 26 having dd my AFP was .45, and ds at 34 my AFP was .43. Does anyone know if I should consider these low results when looking at this one. When I spoke to a midwife she was fairly non-committal, but did agree that low AFP results could be just 'me' and that it's only my age that has now pushed me from low to high risk.

Any advice or thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Allie

[slippinandsliddin]

I dont know what those numbers mean- my DR is still trying to LOCATE my quad results- but I did have an amnio and all is fine.

I woudl suggest an amnio if you are concerned and would like to just be prepared. :)

[meredi974]

My results from a spina biff test is 2.7 which is over wat the mid wife would want to see , the mid wife said it shud be 2.5 to be able to rule it out please does any one know if 2.7 is a high risk  and if i have any thing to worry about thanks Sam.x

[cpatow]

Just went thru this with my newborn and, like you, I didn't want to do amnio b/c I would not have terminated either way. So my risk was 1:215 and I had a couple of soft markers for Down's.

I didn't worry about things AT ALL until the middle of the last trimester and then I was a nervous WRECK for the entire time, all the way up to the OR. The first question I asked the doc when he was born is, "Where's his cry?" (and then he cried) and then the second question I asked was, "Is he normal?" (and he was).

I learned a lesson (for me). Had we had the amnio and it showed a chromosomal abnormality we would have faced some strong emotions for sure, but at least we'd know and I wouldn't have "wasted" the last few momths of pregnancy being in tears many times thinking for sure something was wrong when we didn't know. For me NOT knowing is the worst. Give me facts and I can deal. Give me uncertainty and I'm a mess.

So in hindsight I wish we would have done the amnio, not to tell us whether to abort or not, but to give me the tools to prepare should something have come up.

Good luck with your decision.

By the way, not only is my little guy normal but he is an absolute ANGEL!!!!
Christina

[jenandjon]

I had a borderline Nuchal but my blood work came back ok.  We are going to do the Quad screen and have a Level II u/s to help us decide whether to do the amnio or not.  Its such a personal decision....wish u the best of luck on your journey.

[Sheri1972]

Hi Allie!

I'm so sorry you are going through such a tough time with this one.  The quad test certainly is more accurate, because I know there are lots of false positives with HCG and AFP alone.

To be honest, I would opt for an amnio if I got similar results.  I wouldn't terminate either regardless of the results, but I would rather know one way or the other instead of worrying about it for months on end.  Worrying is no good for the baby, or Mommy, and I would think it would be best for my family and the doctors to be prepared in the event something wasn't right.   I wasn't real hip on amnio myself when I read the risk of miscarriage (1 in 400) but then I recently read a new study where they say the risk that used to be reported is wrong.  The risk is more like 1 in 2500 or more, so in that case, I think it would be worth it.  

(I'm a molecular geneticist by the way, so I try to stay really informed on genetic tests... I drive my genetic counselor nuts! :P )

At the very least, if you think you're going to worry, I would get the quad screen done, see what the results are, and then go from there.

Sheri