Maternal Serum Screening Positive Results

OMG listen to me:

You go down to that Dr's office and DEMAND and appointment IMMEDIATELY that day if not that minute. That is RIDICULOUS and CRUEL.

Wendy

It is very common for those test to come back with a false positive. There is still a good chance that there is No problem. So until you see the doctor I would try to stay positive and not worry. Maybe they could put you on a cancellation list to try to get you in sooner.
My very best to you all,
S. G

There is NO reason you should have to wait that long. When I got back a false positive on my first son, I was at the level two ultrasound the same week! Are you in Orange County? I recommend Magella, they are right next to Hoag Hospital and fantastic. I also saw them for my other pregnancies that were high risk. You shouldn't have to wait and stew about this for that long!

If you need their phone number, feel free to e-mail me.

Good luck!
-M

I never had a positive test and when I had my ultrasound done with my third daughter everything appeared to be 100% normal. However, my daughter was born missing a piece of her 6th chromosome. She has had so many surgeries and complications from those surgeries that I lost count. BUT, I wouldn't trade having her for anything. She is the biggest blessing to our family. She has taught my older children compassion as well as patience. She, like the down syndrome children has soooo much love in her. She has taught so many people around her to love what's on the inside and look past what is on the outside. The spacing of her eyes is abnormal, so people assume that she has downs, but down syndrome children have normal spacing, and abnormal eyes themselves. I have to say that we forget that she even looks different until it is mentioned by someone. We think she is the most beautiful little girl, and sure we would like her to be healthy and not have to go through all these surgeries, but that is a part of who she is. And we don't know what we would do without her. We since went on to have a completely healthy little boy. In our situation they have no idea why she was born the way she was, and there is a slim chance we would ever have another with that same problem. Now your test may be a false positive (I've heard that happens a lot) and it may not be. When considering your options I want you to know that God will never ever give you something you cannot handle. It will be hard at times, but it will be so rewarding as well. It makes you really step back and see what is really important and everything else can be put on the back burner. I will pray that your baby is healthy, but know that God knows what he is doing, and if he sends you a special child be happy knowing that he thinks highly of you and has faith that you can raise this child. I hope you get some answers soon so that either way your mind can be put at ease. Please contact me if you ever just need to talk.

PLEASE take a deep breath and sit down :) This test is SO INACCURATE!! It makes me so angry that they still use it, but it is less expensive and easier to use than other tests, so they use it :(

I have 100s of stories of false results, and all of them are hard in some way! But I wanted to share a bit of my story and how I coped.

I was actually a false negative! For Spina Bifida, but it's the same test. My test came back saying my son was perfectly fine, but I had an ultrasound with a parinatologist any ways due to the still birth of my first child. This ultrasound was scheduled for a few days after I got the results (had already been scheduled), so you can imagine my COMPLETE SHOCK when a very trusted Dr told me that I was carrying a child with Spina Bifida!!! Only then did I learn how seldom the other test is.

So, my suggestions are:

* search your heart..... and your husbands too. Are you ready and willing to be parents to sa special child who will challenge you in ways your can't imagine, but will bless you beyond anything??

*educate yourself..... Knowledge is power! Learn anything and everything you can about the disability that you MIGHT face. I am so much better for having learned so much BEFORE the birth of my child. First, I am forever to busy "living" it now to learn so much, and second, I knew so many of the senarios that I could process things as they can at me less emotionally (which is better for my son).

*Pray... if you are a believer pray: that the test is wrong!; that God heals your child!; for children with DS and the medical community helping them; and for others in the same situation as you! I always find that praying for the last two ideas helps me remember that I am not alone in my struggles, and that there are others out there going through what I am that don't have the peace of the Lord in their lives!

*take care of yourself!!!.... staying healthy and haveing a healthy pregnancy can only help both you and your family! It's hard, especillay when under great stress like this, but so important too!

*schedule time for right after the ultrasound with your husband... don't amke this a "rush in rush out thing". Block out a period of time after the test to be alone with your husband. This can either be a private time to deal with the news, or a time for celebration that the test was wrong depending on what you learm at the appointment. I have learned to do this with all of my son's major appointments, and it's such a blessing. If the news isn't what we were hoping for it gives us time to process together alone before confronting everyone else. If the news is great it si good to celebrate that and give thanks!

My heart and prayers are with you and your family in this tough time.

Hi A.,
Please don't panic. I, too, had a False positive with a 1 in 10 chance (10%)of having a baby with DS. I was very scared as I was 41 and she was my first and only child. However, the test has a VERY HIGH INACCURACY rating. I got the level II ultrasound and she had no signs of having DS. And, she does NOT have DS. Please consider based on a 1 in 15 chance is basically stating that you have a 93.3% chance of having a healthy child - that is the way I had to keep things clear in my head was to think that I had a 90% chance of having a healthy baby. 90% is equal to an A if I were to receive a grade -you have a grade of 93.3% chance of having a healthy baby. Please pray and believe that your baby will be healthy. Good luck and don't worry as you cannot change things - worry only adds undue stress and possibly high blood pressure. Good-luck!

I am not sure what the serum screening numbers were for our daughter and her daughter, but our little grandchild, Katelyn, does have Down's Syndrome. She is absolutely the most precious child. She was born with some heart issues and has had one surgery and will need one last surgery when she is about a year old. We have 4 grandsons and now this beautiful, precious granddaughter. We couldn't be happier. Her mother is gaa-gaa over her. Good luck with all of your children. Remember that God picks only special parents for special children.

I had this happen to me on my third pregnancy. If you had the test based on the OB dating the baby by ultrasound there's a good chance the the due date is wrong. If the test was based off you LMP (last period) you might have a reason to worry.

In my case, we didn't know when my last period was and the Ob had mis-measured the head to rump length and set my orginal due date 4 weeks off! The level II ultrasound that I had done at supposed 18weeks found my little guy to be 13/14 weeks - we even got to see the last tiny bit of the yolk sac! It was a scare for nothing.

sorry to hear you have such a long wait. Mine was only 2 weeks of waiting, but nearly derailed our family vacation. I think the worst part of the process is having to make a decision as to whether or not you "might" terminate BEFORE getting results!
Hope it all comes out alright.

A.,

I don't remember the exact results but my first child was labeled as 'at high risk for downs syndrome.' He's 5.5 and he doesn't have downs syndrome.

The problem with a lot of this testing is that they have very high rates of false positives and they can cause a lot of unnecessary stress.

Once we got the "high risk" info we were offered an amnio (I was quite far along at that point) and I turned it down. I wasn't having an abortion at 6 months pregnant so I didn't see the point.

Keep in mind too that although they've told you there is a 1 in 15 chance your baby has downs syndrome that still means there is a 14 out of 15 chance that it doesn't. And yes there are lots worse things than downs syndrome. My child does have autism (which doesn't show on any prenatal testing) and that is not something I'd wish on any child.

Good luck and {{hugs}}
T.

Doctors told a friend that her baby had down syndrome. When she delivered her baby, baby was totally healthy. Just though you should know. Can you be put on a cancelation list from your doctor? So if anyone cancels you could be seen sooner? Would you be able to go somewhere else to get this test done sooner? So you don't have to wait so long? God bless you.

Dear A.,

I think they should discuss if you believe in abortion or would keep a child with a problem prior to taking the tests and informing you. I refused a test because they wanted mainly to see if my third son had Down's Syndrome and also made me sign a sheet saying I refused it so I couldn't sue for them not giving me the test and having the option of abortion. I am pro-life and feel that every little one is a gift from God. The test was the amiocentis which actually has a 2% change of giving the baby an infection. (did not have the other test when I was pregnant)

On the bright side the ratio sound like there is a good chance that the baby is not Down's Syndrome. I see many other people had false positives. I want you to know, however, that I worked in Special Education for years and children with Down's Syndrome usually have what I term a "puppy personality" ...meaning they are friendly and desirous of pleasing you. They will be slower crawling and walking and talking. Most can learn to do routine tasks enjoy helping sort items, dust, set the table. Older ones often work in a sheltered work situation or in routine jobs at places that will support them such as stocking shelves and retrieving carts at Target or a grocery store or clearing and wiping tables in a small restaurant. Don't dwell on it too much. Know God gives you what you can handle and the children with disabilities are often blessing teaching love and compassion to all. It would probably have been better not to know, but know I am sure you want to get the ultrasound and find out one way or the other. I know I would. Since they called and wanted the ultrasound as soon as possible, I agree with some others and I would keep calling or go down to the Dr. Office ...the squeeky wheel gets oiled:)

I wish you God's blessings and grace in either case.
H.

I understand your concerns about your test results. I want to assure you that these test are very tempermental and usually NOT right! My best friend had the test come back with no problems at all, they went to their 20 week ultrasound to find out what they were having, still no problem, everything looked great! Birth day came and she delivered a precious little boy WITH DS. Today Dylan is 8 years old and the sweetest kid in town!! On the flip side, just last year, another close friend's sister had the test and it came back saying that the baby had a 1/20 chance of having DS, this is a 27 year old girl and she was so scared, first baby, etc. they had the II Ultrasound and the Dr. said it seemed to be OK, but offered the Amnio, she did the Amnio and everything was completely normal and she gave birth to a baby boy withOUT DS in December. So, please understand that this test can go either way! The biggest question is will the results change the outcome of the pregnancy for you? After my first child was born and I researched the test during the 2nd. pregnancy because of my first friends experience, I opted to not have that test any longer!

I always want to explain this! The stat's on women having children with DS are very skewed. They take them from "children born with DS" not women pregnant with a DS child. What that means is that it has to be a live birth to make it in to to statistics and the average woman in her twenties is more likely to abort the pregnancy when they find out the baby has DS so those don't make it to the stat's. This is why so many people believe that only women 35 and older are at risk. My best friend was 29 when she had her sweet baby with DS and in her support group she had quite a few "young" girls with children that had DS. So be careful looking at what the percentages are compared to test results!

Good luck to you and I pray that you have a healthy baby!
W. :)

Hi A., your story brought tears to my eyes as I sat and remembered how I felt when I got that same call. They told me the same thing and that I could not get in for weeks out....What I did was call the specialists myself basically crying telling them I could not wait a month to know the outcome of the situation, depending on who you talk to at the office you might have better luck than your original doctors office who tried to set an appointment for you. Try it.....Also the chances of down syndrome in my unborn child were as well 1/15...Just to reassure you as soon as I got into the specialist they told me that if the blood test that was originally given to you was even a day early (I think it was 14 or 15 weeks) that the test would come back positive...that is exactly what happened to me. My original doctor was wrong on my due date and that off set the test. I know how hard this is for you, try calling the specialists yourself, my tears were genuine when I called the specialists and they totally understood and tried to help me , and it worked....In your best interest (even though easier said then done) try to relax...Your child is a miracle and what ever the outcome may be, he or she was given to you for a reason.....Take care and please let us all know how you are doing

Don't panic until you've had an ultrasound. I had a false positive and there's NO INDICATION of downs in my son! He's healthy and super smart, smarter than the average five year old! Just keep in mind there are false positives out there!

A.,

This totally happened to me!!

I got the call and they did the same thing, scheduled me for almost two months later. Well, I called and told the assistant at the office of the Specialist that I needed to be seen WAY before then. Well, they made me wait three weeks instead...

At my Level II Ultrasound the Specialist could't find any conclusive evidence that my son would be down syndrome. And informed me that most of the 1/15 positives are truly false, but that it still means there is a 20% chance of down syndrome.

In my opinion, the process was awful...they also had us talk to a 'counselor' who explained our options of an Amniocentesis to proove without a shadow of a doubt that this was a 'healthy pregnancy' because there was still time to 'terminate'.

In the end, I decided I was fine whether he had it or not...and, that everything happens for a reason. My son was born without any 'defects' albeit 8 weeks early, but healthy otherwise.

I truly do wish you the best, and just advise you to prepare yourself for the visit. Do research and understand what they are talking about before you get their. Know that this is just another professional opinion and what matters is how you feel in your heart. I hope that this turns out for the best, whatever that means to you and your family...

Good Luck, and congrats on your pregnancy.

Lots of love,
D.

i have 2 children with special needs. Not down syndrome but some that required surgeries. My first was very hard to deal with because I had no clue so when I was pregnant. with the 2nd the Dr. told me this, if you want to do the test it is up to you. because it is not 100% accurate. He asked me this next question, would you even consider abortion and I said no. I think you just have to answer yourself that question and just sit back and enjoy the pregnancy. And when that baby comes, enjoy every min of it. If he or she is special needs they will teach you so much about yourself that you never would have imagined about yourself.

A.,

My heart is with you. I haven't had this experience so I can't give any advice, but I read this book about a couple that were college freaks their second child was a downs syndrom baby, they gave up college because they had degrees in everthing already, and the college folks were giving them a hard time about bringing that kind of child into the world, when they already had one that was perfect. I can't remember the name of the book but it was great and a real eye opener for me. This child brought wonderful things into their lives and opened them up for a love they said couldn't be explained.

I hope the best for you and your family. I pray that you might be one with your child whatever the outcome. That if this is Gods wish for you, that you will experience this unexplainable Love, and your family will be excepting to it. I believe that God gives these children (any that have a major disability)to the most wonderful Mommies in the world, Because he know that they would look past the differences and only see the beautiful child inside. I hope everything goes well at your ultrasound. Good Luck to you. J.

YOU HAVE TO WAIT ONE MONTH! Thats nuts! When my test came up elevated they got me in the next day. You need to insist on being seen tomorrow. On a positive note, my daughter is perfectly healthy and the test were wrong.

I wish you the best.
D.

HI A.,
I haven't had a positive test result but friends have told me that very often the positives are false. However if it turns out that your child does have down syndrome I just wanted to give you a little insight from someone who works with special needs students. I've been a teacher for 7 years and have worked with many students that have special needs, I also have coached soccer for special needs students for the same amount of time. I can tell you without any hesitation, that children/people with down syndrome are angels living among us. Yes there are a lot of complications that go along with having a down syndrome child but, there are so many positives as well, you will NEVER, meet a more loving caring child in your whole life, they are truly a gift, don't be scared if your test turns out positive, you will give birth to the love of your life. Good Luck.

Hang in there. I had a false positive (1 in 30) Alpha Fetal Protein test 10 years ago w/ my son...he's fine. My "First Screen" (Maternal Serum Screening which is I think what you had), 2 years ago was negative...daughter is fine too. I do understand that the test is more sensitive now when it is used along with the level 2 ultrasound, but the timing of the blood tests has to be perfect. Remember to also reverse the statistic in your mind: 14 chances in 15 that your baby is okay. Try your best to not stress through this waiting period, your baby needs you to be healthy and relaxed. Warm thoughts to you, L.

I am sorry you are going through this time. My advise to you is to PLEASE CONTACT FOCUS ON THE FAMILY they have a website. I would call and talk to one of their counselors. You will get honest and factual information. They are a wealth of knowledge in all areas concerning this topic. This is all FREE.
Good luck and God Bless!

Hi A.,
I personally did not receive a false positive test, but
my cousin did. The poor dear was anxiously waiting for over a month wondering if her 1st child would have down syndrome. Everything ended up being fine and she had a
completely healthy little boy.

I got the same results with my 3rd. They said we were at high risk for down syndrome. Everything turned out perfectly fine. I was told (after freaking out) that the "possible" results are wrong more than correct. I do think you should talk your insurance to find out if there is another place you can be refered to that they will cover. A month is a very long time. We were in to have an in depth ultrasound within a week. Mainly, take a breath and try to be calm. I know how hard it is, but think positive. Everything will turn out. If you need to chat anymore with someone who's been through it send me a message. Take care of yourself and your little ones!

Dear A.,
You must be going through a very tough time the waiting is the worst part. I really feel for you. Did you have the amniocentesis done? Take it easy, stressing over something you have zero control over will only make you and your baby unwell.
There have been some studies done that say it’s the age of the man that causes the extra chromosome, so what ever you do don’t blame yourself, there is nothing you could have done for this to happen and I hope that it all turns out well for you and your baby.
Good luck.

hello, i wouldnt worry to much about it i have a 5 week old baby and when i was about 20 plus weeks i had the same thing happen to me, i had the intense ultrasound but didnt get the thing done where they stick a needle in my tummy. my daughter is fine. i have a beatiful healthy girl!! things will be ok, i think the dr.s usually say that only as a precaution.

A.,

Pregnancy is always an exciting time, regardless of how many children one has. This news is always tough and I can understand your concern.

I have not experienced this, but it is my understanding that this test is rarely correct. As a matter of fact OC Register reporter, Sarah Tulley, recently (about 6 months ago) wrote an article about her experience. She was told early in her pregnancy that her baby was down syndrome only to learn when the baby was born that the doctors were wrong. She researched it further and wrote a very good article on her experience.

After reading the article, I learned from many of my frineds and colleagues their similar experience. Nevertheless, it's good to be concerned, but I would not let the news overtake you.

I wish you and your family all the best. God Bless.

Hi A.,
Gosh, first of all, my heart really goes out to you. It's hard enough as moms to just hope that everything is fine, without having to deal with all the test stuff that can be so scary.
I just have a couple of things to add. First, I remember when I had a meeting with a genetic counselor. They were very annoyed that I didn't want an amnio (they thought I should have one because I was 38). They presented statistics to me in a way that was set up for being scary. For example, they would say that I had a 4 in 100 chance of xxx. An alternate way to cite the same info could have been that I had a 96 out of 100 chance of the baby NOT having xxx. I also tend to be a glass half full person, which works for me in staying positive.
The other thing I wanted to mention is an awareness that I have had about people with Down's Syndrome. Not to say that this would be easy, or that one wouldn't prefer that a child not have it. Of course, we always want the healthiest child we can have. But one thought that I have pondered is - what if THEY are really the gifted ones? What is they are actually the more evolved ones in their capacity for loving? What I have known of people with Down's is that I have always been impressed with the amount of love that I have experienced from them. I have wondered a lot if their condition might actually for them, be a huge gift that enables them to experience love on a profoundly deep level. I know that it sure gave me something to think about, and an alternate way to view things.
I just thought I'd offer those thoughts, as they helped me to get through all that testing stuff and move on to the business of enjoying my pregnancy. My son by the way, is a beautiful, healthy boy.
Love and peace to you and your family. Hang in there and stay positive.
M.

I don't know you but I read your story and I will definitely pray for you.

Happened to my sister too. She had a high ratio and cried and bit her lip for weeks until she could get in for an amnio. In the end the baby did not have down syndrome and she now has a happy and healthy 9-year old. Try not to fret too much until you know more. Sorry you have to go through this waiting period. Good luck.

Hi A.,
A dear friend of mine went through your exact situation with the same stats. She had to wait several weeks, just like you, and went through quite a grieving process. After having the follow up ultra sound (several weeks later) they found that the baby was perfectly fine. She is now a beautiful, healthy, 5 year old girl. She learned on that visit that a good majority of the serum screening tests gives false positives as the doctor's incorrectly guess the due date.

My son was high risk for down syndrome, and he is a normal, perfectly formed, if not a little TOO smart boy.
(I was 37 while I was pregnant, so they considered me a high risk pregnancy to start with.)
The important thing to remember is that the triple screen is a test of RISK, nothing more. I decided not to have the amnio, (which my OB could NOT understand.) My husband and I decided that if we were that one in 800 to have a miscarriage, then how horrible would we feel??
There is a VERY high false positive rate with the triple screen. The docs checked on the ultrasound for some physical changes that are common is down syndrome. I also had to have an echocardiogram of the baby, as down kids are high risk for heart problems. As for down syndrome itself, I checked out some websites thinking that I needed to be prepared if we did have a down syndrome child, and I think it would help you to listen to what these folks say....all of them spoke of children that were sweet, loving and giving beyond what most people can imagine, and all were blessed. Hope that this helps, A.

That is absolutely unacceptable! You should not have to wait a month for an ultrasound. Call back and demand that you be tested immediately. The stress on you will be extremly detramental to your and the babies health. Fight for what you want. Office staff are stuck on their timelines and procedures, get your doctor on the phone, scream and yell for what you want. You and your child deserve to be treated better.

Hi
Yes, I have had 2 friends that have had false positives for this test. The ultrasound will give you a much clearer idea
Good luck

Hi Mom,

I hardly ever read these posts as I don't have much time. I good friend of mine had the same results for her son who is six now. They offered her to have an early delivery to abort her son. Being the person that she is, she refused to and we now know her son DOES NOT have down syndrome. She said the same thing happened to a very good friend of hers. I have met little children with down syndrome, and they are some of the sweetest and most loving people/children I have ever met. I lost a baby one year ago January 11 due to Spina Bifida and water in the brain. A very hard thing to go through. . .I am here to offer as much support as you need, as it is so scary to get that call letting you know there is something to worry about from the blood test. . . My doctor would not give me ANY information on my baby and pretty much closed the door on me. I HAD to do the research, and I HAD to find a specialist/ high risk OBGYN. Like I said before, I am here if you need the support. Be in good faith! I will pray for you. Good luck, and I hope your spouse is supporting you as much as he can. . . I honestly know how scary that information can be. Especially when you are out in the cold like I was.

It is absolutely ridiculous that they would give you this news and then ask you to wait a month for more information. OUTRAGEOUS!! Please call them back, go into the office, insist on seeing the doctor... do what you have to do to get in now. The stress and anxiety you must be feeling is not good for you or the baby.

I don't have any experience with the results of this sort of testing but when I read your post I wanted to call that doctor myself to complain. Good luck.

Oh my goodness! I just read the response before mine, and I can't belive someone would write that to you. You are already going through so much right now and you don't need posts like the previous one to add to your fears. Remember everyone has different life experiences and different coping mechanisms. Listen to the the doctors and other qaulified people. Lean on your family and close friends at this time, people you can trust. Remember people will always give the worst case senario, that doesn't make it your senario. Also as a person with a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and having worked with people with developmental disablities for over a decade, I would LOVE to see the credible evidence that 90% of women with Down Syndrome are molested,come on! Take care and God Bless you and your family.

My sister's results came back the same way and even with the ultrasound they couldn't guarantee that her daughter would not have Downs Syndrome but she was born without Downs or any other genetic abnormality. I do not have any children with Downs Syndrome but I teach many at my music studio and I have to say they can be the sweetest most loving children. Raising any child with a disability definitely has its challenges but I know from talking to the parents that I work with and my own parents (my brother has Cerebral Palsy) that the rewards are greater than the challenges.

I am not familiar with the tests or the interpretation, but I do have a friend who was told (with certainty) that her 2nd baby had down syndrome. And surprise! When he was born, he was a perfectly "normal" baby with no problems. He is 3-1/2 now (one of my sons' best friends). I don't know exactly what tests she had, but I know she had several, and the doctors were certain that the baby had down syndrome. Even when they're certain, it can be false.

Hi A., my prayers are with you. You should demand that you get that ultrasound ASAP. One month is RIDICULOUS! If reading these posts is an accurate assumption, it looks like everything will probably be fine. My sis-in-law had the same thing and her daughter was fine. I will tell you the same thing I told her. My brother had a son with special needs. He was their third child. After he was born, he needed various surgeries and therapy. My brother worked very hard and long hours to keep his insurance for all the doctor's bills. Shriners helped pay for a lot of it, though he was still VERY in debt with all the things my nephew needed. He was, of course the sweetest boy ever. When my brother was not working, he did his best to keep his older two sons in as normal a life as possible; baseball, soccer, etc. My sis-in-law (not the same one) was a SAHM and LIVED at the hospital. If you asked me how strong their marriage was I would have told you that they were very much in love and could have survived anything. But they didn't survive this. When my nephew developed leukemia at age 4 on top of everything else, it really destroyed them. My nephew died at age 12. My two older nephews have serious social issues, my brother was in debt for hundreds of thousends of dollars and had to file bankruptcy for the doctor bills, and they ended up hating each other because neither had the time nor energy to take care of their marriage. I told my other sis-in-law this story and upon examining her marriage honestly, she could not say for sure that her marriage would survive that either. She said she would abort if it came back positive. She had another child and didn't want him to go through what my other nephews went through. Only you can decided if you are the type of person who can manage that. In one of my sociology classes we learned that 90% of girls with downs end up getting molsted. If I can find the source I will post it, but it was so high that it shocked everyone in the class. Something else to think about... what will happen to this child when you die? Will the other sibling be forced to care for him/her? Is that fair? My husband's aunt is 80 and her son who is retarded is 52. We are all dealing with what to do with him now. She was widowed when the boy was 12. She has never been able to find a man willing to take on her son and all the responsibility that entailed so she has done it by herself for 40 years. I am not writing this to be mean or morbid, but someone in this position deserves to have ALL considerations put in front of her so she can make the best decision FOR HER and her family. Life is not all rosy for families with special needs kids. If you decide it is not for you you should not fear being judged by anyone who has not walked in your shoes. Thankfully my sis-in-law was one of the false positives and never had to make that choice. I pray you are one of them too.

They told my sister in law the same thing and he is now 16 and perfectly healthy. I couldn't tell you what the numbers were though. That is why I rejected these tests. If your child is down syndrome, there is nothing you can do about now. I believe it is better to know that the child is not perfect at the same time that you see how beautiful they are. It is easier. Why stress out about it for months.

May God bless you and give you peace whatever the outcome.

J.

A.,

I can imagine that this would be a very frightening time for you. And how hard to have to wait a month! I'm afraid that all I can offer is some resources. The Down Syndrome Association of Orange County is a nonprofit that serves parents and children with Down syndrome in Orange County. They can provide you with more information on having a baby with Down syndrome, as well as the testing and lots of other resources. Their website is www.dsaoc.org. Their sister organization is the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, or DSALA. Their website is www.dsala.org.

I hope that helps. Best wishes to you and your family.

A.

This is why I have never had those tests. It is a problem to be stressed during a pregnancy and I am sure your family is feeling it. There are more false positives than anything is what I've heard. I think that if there is a special need or challenge you will have enough time to be prepared when your baby arrives. My cousin just had a down's precious baby girl and we all love her. Knowing was just very hard, and there was no way they would have chosen anything different from the knowledge. Bless you and your baby, get a second opinion if the problem persists. That is a looong time to wait.