Quad Screen

My neighbors came up positive too and she was perfectly find. It sounds like a lot of people get a false read.

All I know is my best friends sister had two false positives and her children were both fine. When will you be doing the level 2 ultrasound? If you have any other questions I could find the info out for you. D.

HI K., I agree with the other ladies. I am 34 and my last pregnancy, my screen came back with a 1 in 63 chance for downs. I did do the level 2 ultrasound, and an amnio, and there were no chromosomal problems. Definitely do the ultrasound, and then if still necessary, dont be worried about doing an amnio, it brought a lot of piece to me to know that the chromosomes were ok.

Hi K.,

I'm sorry that this is such a stressful and scary time for you. I'm sure that until you know for sure one way or the other, it won't change much. Not knowing is the worst.

I would like to offer you hope. My daughter Carissa was born with Down Syndrome when I was 28. More young women give birth to babies with Down Syndrome than older women. It's just the incidence is higher in older women. She is the 5th of 10. She is now 22 and a beautiful and vibrant young woman.
When she was born we were scared because we didn't know what the future would bring. There were times when I would look at her and wonder if I would ever be able to look at her and not first see the Down Syndrome and then the baby. It's a hard time. This was all even with I think our family and community handling it very well.

It's hard to express the great joy that Carissa brings to our family and everyone that has the opportunity to work or rub shoulders with her. It seems that wherever we go within a 20 mile radius of our home, someone knows Carissa. Young and old alike will exclaim, "Carissa! I've missed you so much". And there are lots of hugs to go around. We are left wondering how she knows so many people and the great love they have for her. Whenever any of our own children have been gone for any length of time from home, it's Carissa they miss the most. She has extra special relationships with a couple of her siblings that is sweet and wonderful.

People have a tendency to look at just the sweet side of a person with Down Syndrome and think they don't get mad. Carissa has all the same emotions that everyone else has. She gets happy, sad, frustrated, mad, hurt, etc. It's how she handles all these emotions and situations that makes the difference. She chooses to forgive almost instantly no matter who it is. She chooses to be happy and upbeat no matter the situation. She has the most unconditional love for all that I have ever known. So many people have told me how much they have learned from being with Carissa, me included.

Besides having some ear problems, Carissa has been one of our healthiest children. We are blessed that she hasn’t had any heart conditions. For the past month though, Carissa has been very sick. She has been hospitalized on two different occasions with pneumonia and pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs). It has been a scary time for us. I spent 24/7 at the hospital with her and had a lot of time to ponder on the situation. More than anything else, we didn’t want to lose this wonderful light and joy that is Carissa. Last Sunday night, two big strapping popular young men who are on the high school football team came over to visit Carissa and see how she was doing. It touched my heart to know of the love they have for her.

She is very independent and we feel like she will be able to live an independent (with assistance) life and maybe even one day get married. She cooks, cleans, helps take care of her nephews and loves to bowl a couple of times a week once with her friends and once on a league. When she is over this illness, we will start really looking for a job for her. The handicap that she struggles with the most is communication and understanding and following conversation going on around her. She very much wants to be a part of it but has a hard time with abstract concepts. With patience and perservering, we do pretty well.

There are many wonderful resources available that you can start looking into now.

http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&task...

This is the web site for the National Down Syndrome Society. If you Google “Down Syndrome” you can find many wonderful sites to help you. You can find people in your area that can be supports to you and help you know what’s available in your area. I am in the North Utah County area and would be happy to help where I can. ____@____.com is my email address if you would like to contact me directly.

Sorry this turned out so long, hope it helps. Also know that a wide range of feelings and fears are normal and you shouldn't feel guilty about any of them. Just talk them through with others whom have a good listening ear.

Dear K.,
My daughter was told the same thing on her last two pregnancies. The first time she worried the whole rest of the pregnancy. The second time she was still a LITTLE worried, but not a lot. Both of the times it was a false positive. I also have a friend that went through the same thing. My daughter's doctor told her that he had only had one baby delivered with Downe's Syndrome in the last five years, and that mother had tested negitive!!! Please do not be too worried....if further test would make you feel better, go for it, but don't worry unless you have GOOD reason to believe that there is something wrong. The doctor will tell you when & if you need to be concerned. Good luck!!

Hi K.,
I used to work in a lab doing prenatal testing, including quad screens. Yes, false positives can happen, as with any test. Also keep in mind that it is not a diagnostic test, like an amniocentisis, but rather a risk assesment screening tool. My guess(and that's all it is) is that one reason for the level 2 ultrasound is to measure the nuchal translucency (amount of fluid behind the neck). I don't know what your feelings are towards amnio, but if you need a definitive answer, that might be your next step.

We had a friend from our church get tested positive when they had their first ultrasound and their girl (now almost 2-yr-old) was and is perfectly healthy without any sign of 'downs'. Keep a positive outlook.
And if the test is truely positive, downsyndrome children are an amazing blessing, almost always smiling and loving on those around them. Maybe the Lord has given you this challenge for a reason. It will be a lot of work, but know that you can handle it. Whether downsyndrome or not, this baby will be a blessing to you. We will pray about your situation.

If you are not seeing the Obstetrix group (Swedish and PSL) I would recommend that they do either another Quad or the L2US for you. They are going to find out what the chances of Downs once and for all....sometimes the OB-GYN's don't get all the info, but these guys are masters at finding out what is going on.
I had twins (4 months ago) and saw them for the Genetic US, it is a 1 hour+ procedure (with twins anyway) and they were extremely thorough and we had answers that day since the doctor was a part of the US.
Just a thought, I don't know if you would do anything serious such as terminate the pregnancy over this, but it would allow you time to prepare if in fact the baby has Downs.
Good Luck and we will say some prayers for you K..

Hi K.-

You must be feeling huge amounts of anxiety!! My sister was diagnosed w/ the same prospects w/ her 3rd child when she was 35. Scared her to eath, but Brian is a happy, healthy, normal little boy. My understanding is that about 80% of all positives are false positives.

Keep smiling, you only have a very slim chance for this reality

My friend who has a down syndrome child asked me if it would change my mind if I wanted the child or not. I had the same testing and did not go on with the testing. She married a man with a down syndrome child, he said the same thing. You have to make the choice. for me it was the right one. My son is a "normal" 4 year old.

dear K.-

i was told the same thing on my first child . the quad screen is completely useless as far as i am concerned. all it did was make me anxious and scared for the last 1/2 of my pregnancy. i did not get the screening for my next two children. the only thing good about it was i had many ultrasounds and was able to see him a ton in utero. i had a HEALTHY baby boy. i never had any other testing done as i was not going to abort, i didnt see the point. my numbers were similar to yours and i also had a friend was was like 1 in 12 and their baby was fine too. i also have a cousin that had the test done and it came back negative but she ended up having a baby with downs. (who is doing wonderfully and is an absolute angel!) just goes to show you the test is completely unreliable. i dont know if any of this is helping but know that i am sorry that you have to go through this. i have been there myself and all i can say is a baby is a blessing, downs or not- you will love that baby as much as your other two. good luck, i will keep u in my prayers. M.

Hi K.; this exact same situation happened to me. the ultrasound is very reliable. the quad screen always has false posititives and is known to be very loosely reliable. there are about 10 markers the ultrasound tech will look for in the ultrasound exam. mine was positive for a heart defect, which is common in most developing fetus' anyway. my daughter is normal and this was a huge scare. best, K.

Hi K., the same thing happened to me durring my first pregnancy 9my daughter is now 4). I had the ultrasound done and all of the measurements showed that she did not have Downe's Syndrome. I know that the false posatives are fairly common.
At the time when I was going through what you are, I just accepted that the situation was out of my hands and that I would deal with whatever came my way!
I know what you are going through, hang in there!
R.

Hi K.,

This too happened to me with my first pregnancy, I think I had a 1 in 121 chance of a Down's baby. Because of some other issues we decided to do an amniocentesis and thankfully everything looked good. While the early testing is good and necessary, I think, it can cause so much stress for the parents because sometimes the stats are scary. Just try to keep the odds in perspective...if you were in Vegas would you gamble on odds like 1 in 139? Probably not, so the odds are very very slim that your baby does have Down's. Do the level 2 ultrasound and take it one step at a time. Good luck.

get further testing to make a more definite determination on whether it is a false positive or not. I had a false positive that my daughter had spina bifida and I had to have a level 2 ultrasound which is a 3-D one that is truly amazing to watch and found there was nothing wrong with my daughter whatsoever. Don't become to worried yet. Also know that even if your child does have Down Syndrome he/she can lead a truly full and joyous life. There are activities and services to help through all of this no matter what the results are, but first things first get the further testing.

I so wish I would have had such great stories when I went through this about one year ago. I was 40, so the risk was higher. One thing I found comforting was to focus on the "other side of the coin"-- the 138/139 chance that your baby is just fine. I would go for the amnio and just get the unknown part of this issue out of the way. The amnio is a much better and more accurate test (99%) and I felt better knowing the results from that than any other test. Our son is beautiful and thankfully just fine.....

When I was pregnant (at the age of 33)they did the AFP test on my and it came back positive for Down Syndrom. They then sent me for an amneo (sp). Because it was the 24th of Dec, they told me it would take more time than usual to get the results back. But it was on New Years Eve morning that I received the call that I had a healthy girl. I dont agree that they tell you those things, since there is a high rate of false results and the added stress isnt good for you or the baby. The best thing I did for my baby and myself was to focus on positive things and not let the waiting drive me insane. I know it is easier to tell someone not to worry but in this instance worrying, can cause more harm than good. I also know that there are risks with taking the amnio, but I felt that I needed to know the results and if you have a doctor that you trust that aides in your comfort level as well. I dont know if I have helped you or not, hope so,but I wish you and your baby the best and just know you arent alone in all of this. My best to you.

When I was pregnant my doctor actually discouraged me from getting a Quad test because their is such a high percentage of false positives...she told me 50%! Therefor I chose not to have the test knowing their was a good chance I would be stressed for nothing! Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is don't despair! And perhaps this information will help ease your mind a bit.

Hello! I am currently going through the exact same situation. I just turned 34 and am now 33 weeks along. I had the test come back positive and was scheduled for the Level 2 ultrasound and amniocentisis (if wanted). Before the ultrasound, we were seen by a genetic counselor and she took a look at mine and my husbands family history and asked about the pregnancy. Then she explained the possibilities and odds based on some of that information. We decided against the amniocentisis (because we will keep the baby regardless of the outcome). So, we went through with the ultrasound and they take a very thorough look at the baby, measurements, amniotic fluid, heart, facial features, kidneys, limbs. Based on all those things, they can help you understand if your risk is higher or lower. Many times, these tests become a false positive and there is nothing to worry about. I was 24 weeks for this first ultrasound. They wanted me to repeat it at 32 weeks and again at 36 weeks. So, I still don't have a difinitive answer unfortunately. The only way to know for sure is to do the amnio. I was not willing to risk the possible side effects for the amnio since we are going to keep the baby regardless. I know that we worry anyway without these types of things coming up and it's hard for someone to tell you not to. From one person going through this to another, find out what YOU are comfortable with. For me, I am hoping for the best but preparing for whatever may come and honestly I'm okay with that. But remember, many of these tests are a false positive! I wish you the very best!! Take care of yourself! S.

Hi K.,
My screen came back with 1 in 145. Think of it this way. . . it is less than a one-half percent chance that the baby will have Down's. I went ahead and had an amnio (not scary or very painful at all!) and all was perfect. Go ahead and have the amnio. You will have peace of mind and be able to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

K.,

I worked in Labor and Delivery as a nurse for several years. I also worked in a Family Practice Clinic where we saw pregnant patients. From my experience there are many, many, many false positives from these tests. If the due date is off by even a day it can cause these tests to come back a false positive, and there are other factors that can mess up the test as well. For both of my pregnancys I declined the test for this very reason. The other ladies are correct in asking for another more in depth ultrasound, and the doctors should be accomadating. Don't let them pressure you into an amnio unless you really need it for yourself.

It's difficult to not worry, but try to take some comfort that these test results are wrong more then they are right.

I had a positive screen also, did the ultrasound and they found none of the indicators, fluid in the brain or spinal colunm, legs and torso measured normal. They then wantes me to do the amnio and I declined the reality for me was I was keeping him no matter what and since the ultrasound came out fine I wasn't worried, I did do a little research on downs as a just in case, but my son is know 18 months old and perfectly healthy! My sister had 4 positives and all of hers are fine, so relax a little most cases I have heard of turn out fine!

Hi K., My sister-in-law has four kids. Three out of four in the initial test supposedly tested positive. All four of her children were born healthy and she had all of her children before she turned 30. Your doctor is right in telling you that there are false positives sometimes. Just keep thinking positive. I know sometimes its hard when things like this happen, but until you have your ultrasound and find out more information it will not do you or your other children any good. I will keep you in my prayers.

K. -
I think the best advice is to only go ahead with further testing if you feel that you must know to prepare for a Down's baby or if you expect to terminate the pregnancy if it is Down's. I was in this situation myself. At age 31, my first pregnancy, I had the test come back showing I had a 1 in 300 chance of having a Down's Syndrome baby. Not having family or friends able to help me or guide me in this situation, I went the next step ahd had the 2nd test that came back 1 in 70 chance. From there you can have an amnio, to further test and to know absolutely if your baby is Down's. My husband wanted me to go to the next step, and reluctantly I did, besides all the fear and anxiety of the complications that can come from an amnio, I had it done, only to find out I was not carrying a Down's Syndrome baby. In the end, looking back, I wish I knew what I do now. The tests are rarely accurate and even if I did find out I was carrying a Down's baby, I wouldn't have aborted it, so I feel I went through much fear, anxiety, and trauma for nothing. Not worth it for me. When the time came up in my second pregnancy for these tests, I passed on it, I would never go through that again.

The quad screen is often positive, I had a positive and many, many of my friends have had positive, and all have had healthy babies. The ultrasound will look for markers that indicate downs is possible. At my ultrasound I was relieved to see that there were none of those markers present - and then more definitive testing might ease your mind. I had amnio because I was 42 - Much higher chance of Downs - and when the results came back neg. (the most torturous waiting period of my life!!!) I could relax a little. So, don't freak out yet. Decide if you really need to know and to what degree of certainty, and go from there.The ultrasound may provide you with enough info to decide whether to do an amnio or not. Good luck!

K.-

I had the Quad Screen when I was pregnant with my daughter. We were mostly concerned with Spina Bifida since my sister in law has it. I came back "negative" for spina bifida, but a 1 in 125 chance for downs syndrome. I freaked. We had a second ultrasound to confirm the gestation date and everything was accurate. We went on to have a level 2 ultrasound by a specialist. There were no physical signs of Downs from the ultrasound so he reduced our risk to 1 in 250. Only about 50% of downs children will show physical adnormalities in an ultrasound. He told me that it was very unlikely that she had downs. The false positive rate is very high. We were satisfied with our level 2 results and decided not to pursue the amnio since the risk of a miscarriage from the amnio was higher than the risk for Downs. I am happy to say that she was born a healthly little girl. She just turned two in December. We opted out of the screening for our son. He was born healthy and is 6 months old. It won't hurt anything to do the level 2 ultrasound. After that you can determine if you want to go for further invasive testing. Most likely everything is alright.

I have a lovely 19mo daughter with down syndrome. We were 34 at the time... we did an ultrasound and found out that there were some markers. Then another one that found no markers. Then blood work that said more likely (1:145) and then another blood test that said no... all in all, we had 5 weeks of up and down. It was horrible. We did the amnio because I needed to know, I wasn't going to terminate, but I just NEEDED to know!!!! The results came back as a yes. We were sad and grieved (normal and needed!) and now are so in love with our daughter!! We have a 4yr old typical girl and a 19mo girl with downs and are expecting #3 in a few weeks. My advice would be STOP DOING ANY NON-CONFIRMING TESTS AND DO AN AMNIO. It was SO PAINFUL for me that with #3 we did NO testing and had an amnio so we could just "know" and be done with the horrible guessing. I wish you all the best!!!

Do not fret. Will the outcome of the ultrasound make any difference to you in how much you love your baby? If not then just have the ultra sound so you will be aware and prepared. Even if your child does have downs you will still have a wonderful child who is a blessing in your life. You can become educated before hand on the special and wonderful needs your child will have so you can be fully prepared to meet them.

K.,

Hopefully you will be hearing from others who have been in the same situation. I have not been there, but I wanted to respond anyway in the hope that what I have to say will reassure you. A chance of 1 in 139 is a low chance.

The reason I wanted to respond, though, is that through my work I've been around many, many children and adults with Down Syndrome. While raising a child with such a challenge is not easy on the parents by any means, certainly if I were given a chance somehow to choose the challenge my child has, I'd consider choosing Down Syndrome even though I know that's a choice to be in it for the long haul. (But as a parent to any child, you're in it for the rest of your life no matter what.) Down Sydrome children have loving personalities. It's a little scary that they are TOO trusting and because of that must be watched more closely while they are out in public. However, the lifestyle and developmental services options available today provide the family with the opportunity for the child, once grown, to live as independently as possible. They can choose living in an apartment with one or more roommates and ongoing assistance from support staff, who do the shopping, the cooking, the coaching, the bill-paying and the other things the adults with Down Sydrome cannot do for themselves. Community developmental services also assists their clients with finding jobs. That, too, is part of living a life with dignity. (And, no, I have never worked for a community developmental services organization. But I'd like to, because they do really great things for the people they serve.)

Pregnancy is a worrisome time for anyone, and after getting this test result, you have more reason to be worried. But know that even if this child has Down Sydrome, the child, and you as parents, will have the needed services available and will be assisted by people who know how to help and what is required.

I had exactly the same situation and everything turned out fine for us. I was 40 when I was pregnant and, as such, considered high risk.
I completely freaked when the screen came back positive and spoke with my obgyn. She told me she had wished she'd never recommended it because of the large number of false positives. I went to the Level 2 ultrasound and took my mother for comfort. When I saw my little girl (I didn't know it until then) on that screen, all my stress and anxiety melted away. Even though I didn't know what the doctor was doing or looking for, I just knew that no matter what, this little girl was in my life for good and that no matter what, we'd make it work.
The level 2 is amazing because you can see so much more detail. Do not be afraid to ask the doctor performing it to talk you through it. I was really quiet at first until he started to talk as if couldn't see any blaring abnormalities. I asked lots of questions and he even showed me how he determined she was a girl.
They wanted to do further genetic testing afterward because they couldn't be 100% sure. I declined the Amnio.
Everyone told me to not worry beforehand and it didn't help. You will worry and you probably know worry won't change anything. If you pray, ask that you be given the strength to take any news you are given. Ask for guidance to make the right choice for you and your family if things aren't perfect.
My little girl is 14 months old now and although she does have some medical issues (not Downs), she is perfect in my eyes.
I hope this helps!

I work at an ob/gyn office and I see one of the M.D.'s in our office for my prenatal and gyn care. When I was pregnant last year and it came time to have my afp drawn, my doc asked me if I was going to have the test done or not and I told him no because it wouldn't make a difference what the results were. He told me that in all his years of practicing medicine (almost 20 years) all his patients that had a positive afp for down syndrome turned out to be false positives. So, I wouldn't put much worry into it. I hope yours turns out to be a false positive also. Best of luck!!

K.,
I had positive screens with all 3 of my kids, and they are all normal. We did the ultrasounds, but declined on the amniocentesis. We figured if we had a Down Syndrome child, it would still be a blessing,and we would not prepare any differently than if we had a normal child. The ultrasound is good so that you know if there will be a potential for cardiac problems (heart problems associated with Down Syndrome). The amniocentesis would be up to you and your husband--if it makes you feel better to know if your child has Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and you will be more emotionally prepared, then you might want to consider it(although it is not without risk).
I had all 3 of my kids between 32 and 36 years old, and my chances of Down Syndrome were around 1:120.
Good Luck!

I did not get a positive result, but I have always heard how common is it to get a false positive. I would just go for the next level of testing and when they come back negative, you will be at ease and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. Good luck.

I have had FOUR different friends that have had false positives on this test.........that is why with all three of our children we opted not to take the tests.....they won't change the outcome of your pregnancy and you will love your baby no matter what! If I were you I wouldn't lose any sleep over it - false positives are way more common than not! :)

I had the same exact thing happen to me. Last fall when I was pregnant with our second child (who is now 8 weeks old) I received positive results for my quad screen and I am 33 years old. I freaked out when I received the news so I immediately went for a level 2 ultrasound and amnio. It turns out everything was fine. But my husband and I are the type of people who like to be as prepared for everything as we can be, so we chose to do all of the tests necessary. Chances are your baby is fine. If you do the level 2 ultrasound it will tell you a lot.

I had a level 2 ultrasound come back with a heart problem that is a sign of down's, and then I had to go to a specialist.I worried myslef sick over it. They found nothing wrong and the baby was fine. They can also do an amnio to check for down's. I have heard the blood test can come back with false positives also. Maybe you can take it again, but you might have to pay for it yourself. Hang in there! I'm betting your baby is fine also.

I had this same exact situation with my daughter. We never had this test done with our first but for some reason I decided to have it done with my second. I was scared to death after they told me the news. Then went for level 2 ultrasound and the technician assured me everything looked very normal but if I wanted to know for sure I would need an amniocentisis which I was very opposed to. It turned out that my due date was off which threw the test off. These tests are very tempermental you have to be exactly a certain number of weeks(can't remember the exacts) but I wasn't when the test was taken and that caused it to come back a false positive. Needless to say since then my husband and I have vowed never again to have this screening done with our other children. It caused us a lot of stress and pain for no reason. Our daughter is 17 months old now and beautiful. She is perfect by every means. Best of luck to you try not to worry too much.

I used to work for a perinatologist who did the level 2 ultrasounds for women, who had results like yours, from quad screens. I can tell you from my experience that the majority of these screens turned out to be false positives (so much unecessary worry for you pregnant mamas). Remember, it is just a screen and not a definitive diagnostic test. As another poster had mentioned, deep breathing does help to get you through these uncontrollable situations. Besides, it is GREAT practice for labor. In fact, relaxation techniques are a life-long skill. I realize this whole scenario must be nerve wracking for you. Find your honey or one of your best girlfriends, give them a hug and deep breathe until your u/s test.

C. M., CBE, CLD, MWA
The Westside Birth Connection
###-###-####
www.westsidebirthconnection.com
Marketing Chair, Colorado Doulas Association
www.coloradodoulas.com

K. - This can be sooo scary! When I was pregnant with my first child, with initial screening, I was told that there was a 1 in 20 chance that my child had Down Syndrome. And the fact that my own mother gave birth to a baby with Down Syndrome and died at 4 days old just made it worse - even though it's not genetic. I ended up having an amnio with more accurate results... no abnormalities. We were very fortunate and now have 3 beautiful and healthy children. But during the time before those results came, my husband and I didn't know what to do with ourselves... we did tons of research on the internet and talked with one of my friends with a DS child. The best thing for us at the time was to be as informed as possible, so no matter what the actual outcome, we'd be prepared. As they say, "knowledge is power". I hope the best for you and your family.
-E.

I don't think age has so much relevance in it, but I know a few friends that had the same positive and their children did not have Downs. When I had a ultra sound late into my pregnancy they found my son had kidney reflux which can typically be a sign of downs syndrome too and I so worried for weeks. The ultrasound will relieve your mind as I had a level 2 ultrasound and it put my fears to rest.
That being said, a child with Downs is still a beautiful gift and either way you will be a wonderful mother. Take deep breahs and try not to worry too much. HUGS

You probably have had lots of responses, but just to let you know I had the same experience with my first. I decided to go for the level 2 ultrasound. They measured everything and looked at all the details. They said everything was fine and that chances are it was a false positive, but that I could go for an amnio to be certain. My husband and I talked it over and decided there was more risk in the amnio than the chance our child actually had downs. In the end, we now have a happy and healthy six year old. No sign of anything wrong, in fact, he is top of his class in first grade. My advice is to make a decision that you and your husband feel is right. I'd definitely go for the next ultrasound and see what they find, if anything.

With our second child we decided not to even HAVE the test in the first place. I had done quite a bit of research online and found how common false positives were! And it wasn't worth all the worrying for us!

Good luck to you!

Hello K.,
I know that this may seem like a terrible situation and I feel for your dispear. It know it must seem like all the dreams you had for this baby are gone but it doesn't have to be that way. I have lost dreams to. When I was fouteen years old I was told that I would never have children because of a condition I have. The docter were right. My husband and I have done anything we could to have children and we simply can't. I gave up alot of dreams when I was told that I couldn't bear my own children. Remember you are so blessed to be given the children that you have. Also I think that down syndrome children are some of the most special children that we can have in our lives. I have two cousins that are down syndrome and they are the most incredible people. They are a double edge sword. They are a lot of hard work but I know that their parents wouldn't trade them for the world. They are some of the most treasured and innocent people. I wish you well and hope that you think of all the wonderful blessings that you have to be a mother and wish you the best of luck

You must check out this OB specialist's website as it is a great source of information regarding abnormal screening results, what they really mean, and what to do about them.

http://www.healthline.com/blogs/pregnancy_childbirth/2007...

Your risk is really not high as you will see on this website. Your results mean that 138 babies with your same results will be NORMAL. Trust me your risk is low and your level II ultrasounds will most likely put your mind at ease. Hope this helps.

Two daughters and both of the screenings came back positive and they wanted to get me in to all kind of tests. I refused!! For me a baby is a baby whether it has Downs Syndrome or not. My husband and I both agreed that we would welcome any child and today we have two perfectly healthy children with no adverse effects at all. My guess is your chances of getting Preclamsia/Toxemia (high bloodpressure) is greater than having a baby with Downs Syndrome. Oh, my first child was born when I was 35 and the second one 5 years later. BREATHE!!!!! Your baby is most likely going to be fine.

Each pregnancy, my tests came back "abnormal" indicating Down' Syndrome, and the follow-up tests were fine. I started skipping the first screening, since it was so inaccurate, and began just waiting for the ultrasound. All my kids were "normal". I have advised many women to skip that first screening, since there's such a high degree of unreliability in it, and just wait for the ultrasound.

You should be fine.

Hi K.,

I bet you'll get a lot of responses on this one! I am 31, and had a 1 in 90 positive for DS on my quad screen. The thing to remember and focus on, is this is just a screen. My level II u/s showed a "velamentous cord insertion", meaning the umbilical cord was attached on the very edge of the placenta. Before these early screens and high level ultrasounds were available, no one would know this was happening inside of me until delivery. Because I did know, I spent much time in angst, worrying about DS and about my baby... and it was all for NOTHING!! I vaginally delivered a perfectly healthy baby, although on the small side (6 lbs, 5 oz).
The good thing about this knowlege was that I was heavily monitored, with fetal stress tests and multiple high level u/s. I was told to expect a higher chance for a c-section. So I was prepared for that, and happily surprised to have a vaginal delivery. I did end up with preeclampsia at the end as well, but that's another story... and I wonder if the stress didn't contribute to that.
Anyway, there are not a lot of "false postives", as there is nothing false about the results. They give you odds, and all this means is your odds are slightly higher than a typical 33 yr old woman's. Try and think rationally about just how little of a chance 1 in 139 is (less than 1%) and focus on that :) Of course, I worried to death myself! My advice is to do your best not to, and to enjoy your pregnancy as much as you can.

K.....
i know what you're going through...i didn't have the first ultrasound to test for the skin behind the neck and so when the blood test came back it came up as an 80% chance that my son would have down syndrome. I was scared to death...i was at all ends...what did i do wrong, we don't have it in the famly...i was a nervouse wreck...and they told me as well that there was false positives...so i went to see the specialist and it was determined that he was a perfect, happy, healthy boy....so don't get in a fret (sp?) now...just relax, caz there IS fals positives....just breath! you'll be fine

Hi K.,

I don't have any children with downe's syndrome however my 17 year old sister in law has downe's. and i have a friend with a downe's boy. the common theme is they are grateful to have these sweet children in their families. we go to the downe's events each year to support them and we have found a big support group awaits with open arms. my sis in law is high functioning and is a high school Jr. this year. she loves life and it loves her right back. we can't imagine our family without her.

Same thing happened to me when I was pregnant with my son. I was the same age you are. My doctor told me that the test has many false positives, and that if your dates are off even a little bit, that can effect your result. So, if you are not sure exactly when you concieved, you can take that into consideration.

I was sent to get a 3-D ultrasound, which was somewhat reassuring (and super cool to watch!). They look for markers, such as thick skin on the neck, short leg bones, etc. Even though my son had none of these markers, I was still a little worried. I refused to do the amnio, because the risk of miscarriage was higher than the risk of downs, according to my test results.

My son was born completely healthy and normal. I hope the same for your baby. THose tests are great when the result is good, but when it is not, it is a harrowing experience. The thing I kept telling myself all through my pregnancy was that if my baby did have Downs, at least they are loving, sweet people, and I knew I would love my baby no matter who he was. I am sure you feel the same way. Hang in there!

hi K.,
I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties, just remember not to stress out too much and to relax if you can I know its hard. My Mom was 30 when she was pregnant with my sister and they told my Mom that my sister was more than likely downs and my Mom underwent endless tests and was very depressed. I was 10 and didn't understand all that was going on but became upset as well and had bad dreams. The doc recommended my Mom not go through with her pregnancy. Luckily she didn't listen because my sister is now a very happy healthy 19 year old girl who has never had any medical problems.
Take Care,and best wishes,
S.

false positives ane incrediably common. I refused the test all 3 pregnancies, because of it. I personally know 4 motheres who have ahd false positives, and indured a lot of unnecessary interventions because of it , ie amniocentisis et cetera. The best thing to do is relax, the stress may be worse for the baby than anything else. I am glad your doc only recomended a US. I would get the ultrasound, you will feel better once you have a better idea. Just remember the test only shos that you are at an increased risk, and nothing else. Good luck, I hope that everything is just fine, ;)

Hey, first congrats on the pregnancy, and 2nd, don't stress, you don't have all the info yet. I had a level 2 ultrasound with my 2nd boy and I felt that the doc I had who did the actual tests was really experienced and then at this time was when to find out what's up. I hope all's well and remember this is your path...
Good luck and best wishes...