How to analyse triple test result

[apps65]

Hi.My age is 38 and in the 18th week of preg.  Recentrly I had taken triple test. The outcome  was Low risk.  Can anyone explain about the method of analysing triple test results.

apps

[rubyinparadise]

wow! 1:4500 is very low, that is great news for you.

best of luck with your amnio! how did the level II sonogram go? did the u/s technician say that she was seeing any red flags? i hope it was all clear. :)

[kukisha]

Hi,

I had negative triple test result. The doctor said 1:4500 risk to have chromosomal abnormality. But the alfa fetoprofen is extrimely low. And the doc is really concerned about that. So he wants me to do amnio test and level II sono. I have both prosedures scheduled tomorrow morning.
So, I don't know how this triple test works and how to analyze its results.

[rubyinparadise]

Hi apps,

If all they told you was that you are "low risk" or "negative", then you don't really have enough information to really "analyze" the results-- but the news is good! It means that based on the numbers they got back from what was screened, there's a low chance of  chrmosomal abnormalities.

The Triple test measures:

Alpha-fetoprotein:

    * Made by the fetal yolk sac and fetal liver
    * Generally present throughout the fetus
    * Processed and excreted into the amniotic fluid, swallowed and reprocessed by the fetus
    * Small amount crosses the placenta and can be measured in maternal blood
    * If a major open defect such as spina bifida or omphalocoele is present AFP levels will be high
    * Levels will be low when a fetus is affected by Downs Syndrome
    * AFP alone identifies approximately 20% of fetuses with Downs Syndrome, and will miss approximately 80%

Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin:

    * Levels will be higher than average when a fetus has Downs Syndrome

Unconjugated estriols:

    * Rates of detection of Downs Syndrome are low and so Inhibin A is considered a more useful measure


All on its own, the Triple Screen test has a lot of false positives (being told you're high risk when your baby is actually fine), and it only catches about 80% of Down's cases. If you combine it with the NT scan in 1st trimester and/or Level II Ultrasound in the 2nd trimester, then the accuracy goes up to about 95%.

Hope this helps!

[adgal]

I don't think I had a triple screen, but is it where they do a full anatomy scan, measure the nt fold and do bloodwork?  Sorry, I am just not entirely certain what this means.