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Avatar universal

FYI - QUAD SCREENING AND SUCH...

I just had my 16 week appt. and will soon be going for my AFP testing... Many people get confused as to how the test works.... The test is done through a blood draw, when they are testing for anything such as down's syndrome it gives them a number... The number can be based on let's say 1 in 500... That means out of every baby born out of 500 have a chance of coming their mother testing positive.... If you test positive, that DOES NOT MEAN your child is sick!!!! What happens from there is "MOM TESTS POSITIVE, THEN THEY TEST DAD. IF DAD TESTS NEGATIVE THEN THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO DO. IT MEANS THE BABY IS FINE. IF MOM AND DAD BOTH TEST POSITIVE, THEN AN AMNIO IS SCHEDULED FOR MOM IF SHE CHOOSES"..... I have read where a lot of people get upset because they think that they're baby is sick when this isn't entirely true!!!! Mom and Dad must BOTH test positive in order for the baby to be sick ...... In most cases, it's a faulty error, or the test was contaminated....


16 weeks tomorrow, baby's HB 144... Got blood drawn today.... Although getting referal for nephrologist.. Was in the hospital in the snuggery last week and might have somethig wrong with my kidney's other than stones...
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707563 tn?1626361905
This thread is now closed.  Please do not post to it.

Thanks,
Emily

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906115 tn?1344200509
AFP: alpha-fetoprotein is a protein that is produced by the fetus

hCG: human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced within the placenta

Estriol: estriol is an estrogen produced by both the fetus and the placenta


are the three things tested in a AFP and I think you should ask your OB how they will find any of them in a man?! hahahaha that is too funny and in the Quad test even with the

inhibin-A is a protein produced by the placenta and ovaries


If a man tested high in any of these things I guess there would be concern as to any child he helped concieve;)

My sis has not been able to get pregnant and she had genetic testing but it is very precise what they look for and totally different then these tests.
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Avatar universal
I think you might be talking about two different things.  There are some genetic disorders in which both the mother and father have to have the gene in order for it to be passed to the child.  However, there are some genetic disorders which just happen and neither parent carries the disordered gene.  Down Syndrome is most often one of these things - if the quad screen trips as "positive" for DS, there is no need to test the father because DS won't be passed from a healthy father/mother to a baby.  Genetic counselors will certainly look for certain conditions that have to be inherited, but not all genetic conditions are inherited, and not all inherited genetic conditions result from two parents having the problematic gene.  There are some genetic disorders that are recessive, meaning the baby only gets one copy of the disordered gene - from the parent with the disordered gene, even though the other parent is fine.
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Avatar universal
Um no.. Actually it does not!!!! You should really ask your Dr. about this.... It has to do with the mother yes, but it also has to do with GENETICS! I even have the paperwork from my Ob's office about that screening... If a Mother tests positive, they test the father to see if his genetics carry same gene! If the father tests positive, then a mother is scheduled for a second AFP reading, and if that's positive they schedule a level 2 US and then a amnio if she chooses... It is not based just based on the information you gave, but a father's genetic material as well because doing an AFP and testing for downs is not just something the mother carries........ If you read up on your information about AFP testing and know so much about it, then why would a Dr. send you to a genetic counselor ? Because it has to do with GENETICS! Not just of the mother, but of the father as well.........
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906115 tn?1344200509
I am just wanting to correct you on the AFP or Quad test. If you could tell me who told you that fathers are a factor in this test?

The AFP test is not a diagnostic test but a screening test and three things are checked for,AFP, hCG, and Estriol.

The quad screen test is a maternal blood screening test that looks for four specific substances: AFP, hCG, Estriol, and Inhibin-A.

AFP: alpha-fetoprotein is a protein that is produced by the fetus

hCG: human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced within the placenta

Estriol: estriol is an estrogen produced by both the fetus and the placenta

Inhibin-A:The quad screen is a maternal blood screening test that is similar to the Triple Screen Test (also know as AFP Plus and the Multiple Marker Screening). However, the quad screen looks for not only the three specific substances evaluated in those tests (AFP, hCG, and Estriol) but also a fourth substance known as Inhibin-A.

The screen is essentially the same as the screening tests that look for only three substances, except the likelihood of identifying pregnancies at risk for Down Syndrome is higher through the evaluation of Inhibin-A levels. The false positive rate of the test is also lower.

What is a screening test?
It is very important to remember what a screening test is before getting one performed. This will help alleviate some of the anxiety that can accompany test results. Screening tests do not look only at results from the blood test. They compare a number of different factors (including age, ethnicity, results from blood tests, etc...) and then estimate what a person’s chances are of having an abnormality. These tests DO NOT diagnose a problem; they only signal that further testing should be done.

inhibin-A is a protein produced by the placenta and ovaries



So in layman terms it has to do with the health of the mothers egg at the time of conception if ther is risk to something possible being wrong and the father is NOT factored in at all. If there are high numbers they first do a more extensive ultrasound to check for special markers to see if baby has downs and if the mother wants for "Preperation" of birth or the dr asks for his preperation of birth an amnio can be done but it carries risks to baby and risks of rupture of membranes and early birth.

This blood test used to only be done for woman over 35 but after a younger woman had a baby with downs and was not offered the test she sued the OB and now the american accadamy of obsetrics made it mandatory to offer to all woman no matter of age, or past pregnancy. I feel it is a money racket and that it causes undue emotional harm to mom during a time she needs no stress. A simple ultrasound can prepare a dr for any problems the baby has that will need to be adressed right at bith such as a heart problem very common with downs babies. or any other problem. There will always be problems that neither dr nor mom know that can arise at any birth. Any mom who comes back with high numbers then has the amnio and it shows a problem the OB has the legal right to ask the mother to sign a waiver for birthing the baby and can opt for abortion. There are lots of good OB's that do not ask the mother to sign but some will. Now I do not believe in abortion at all but I feel that this test is not needed at all unless a woman wants to know her chances of a "screening" but this should be told to her that is is a screening and not a diagostic test and waht further tests "could" be done if something shows. I have been told by all 8 of my OB dr's that there is a 70% chance error as it is set up to maternal age en ethnic along with the blood results. Now that is not something I will pay for or be worried over waiting for the results.

If a woman will not abort a baby with a problem and does not care if they are born with a problem and will love them no matter what, there is no need for this test! Dr's need to not just say it is a needed and routin test but a screening that has error and if mom then wants it can be done.

http://www.*****************.org/prenataltesting/quadscreen.html

this is the link about the quad screening.

But again there is no link to father at all in this test! It has to do with the health of the egg, and some infections can cause problems for baby if they are present at conception. But all things tested int he bllod have to do with mother and baby only
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