statistics for down syndrome

[may42002]

i am a bit concerned but even more confused about some test results that i have received related to risk for down syndrome. i am currently 33 years old and will be 34 when the baby is born. i had the sequential screening test done and my 1st trimester results came back fine (completed at 13 weeks, 2 days: 1.88mm nuchal translucency measurment with a 1 in 1,800 chance for down syndrome) but then after my 2nd trimester blood work, my final results came back with an elevated risk for down syndrome - 1 in 230 chance. i then had two high resolution ultrasounds done, one at 18 weeks, 4 days, which showed completely normal measurments as well as an echogenic focus in the right ventricle. the doctor did not seem worried about it. b/c of this finding in the hear, i had a second high resolution ultrasound, which was completed at 19 weeks 6 days and again, all measurments were completely normal and that doctor did not mention the echogenic focus and said the heart looked perfect. should i be worried about having a baby with down syndrome? should i get an amniocentesis??

[kipil]

Hi,When i got my testing done during my first pregnancy i was 24 and my blood work came back saying that we had a 1 in 200 chance of our baby being born with spina bifida and we were freaked right out, the following day we had a ultrasound and everything looked fine..the doctor told us there was nothing to worry about..which was true because when our son was born he was perfectly healthy..another piece of info, a girl i know knew at 16 weeks that she was having a down syndrome baby because it showed up on the ultrasound..so if the doc say's everything looks fine.then don't stress yourself out and enjoy your pregnancy..

[tandria03]

If the doctors feel that everything looks normal at this point, I would try not to worry.  The screenings are not always accurate and have been known to be wrong in the past.  Every woman has some sort of chance of something not being normal with her baby.  God gave us these babies for a reason whether they have a disability or not.  I would not recommend the amniocentesis due to associated risks, unless you are really interested in making sure so if the baby did have downs you could be prepared, but I personally do not feel that your risk of having a downs baby is any more than any other pregnant woman.  Good luck!  I hope all goes well.

[ftogirl]

I found this on the March of Dimes website- "The risk of Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 at age 25, to 1 in 1,000 at age 30, 1 in 400 at age 35, 1 in 100 at age 40 and 1 in 30 at age 45 (6). Women over age 35 have been traditionally considered most likely to have a baby with Down syndrome. However, about 80 percent of babies with Down syndrome are born to women who are under age 35, as younger women have far more babies (2)."  The (2) indicates that this is a quote from National Down Syndrome Society. Information Topics. Accessed 1/11/07..