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Just before we went on holiday we received a letter with the results of our Down’s syndrome screening test – 1:15,000 – meaning we don’t need to have any further tests! This is obviously good news for us (not that we wouldn’t love our baby just as much if he/she was born with Down’s…), but for some parents it may not be such good news, or hard to deal with.
We actually had to just have a blood test, as at our 12 week scan Baby G wouldn’t stay still and wasn’t in the right position for the sonographer to take measurements!
The nuchal translucency (NT) scan is a straightforward test to assess whether your baby is likely to have Down’s syndrome, it isn’t a diagnostic test. The NT scan is carried out by taking your baby’s neck fluid measurements, usually at your 12 week scan. It is best carried out between 11 weeks and 13 weeks & 6 days of pregnancy. If your results come back as high risk then you can decide whether you wish to have a diagnostic test carried out. A diagnostic test such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or an amniocentesis can give a definite diagnosis, but it also carries a small risk of miscarriage.
It is worth noting that it is not a requirement for you to have the NT scan, it is a personal decision. Likewise, once your NT results are back, if they are high risk, you do not have to have a diagnostic test.
You can find more information on Down’s syndrome screening tests here and here.
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I am going to be honest here. It would personally freak me out if I found out that my baby is Down's (mind that I would get on with it later on and I would love my child anyway). I always imagined myself having a healthy baby. I hope my day comes to experience motherhood.
This is what I mean by saying it may not be such good news for everyone, parents-to-be cannot help how they feel, and everybody is bound to feel differently. I hope you do get the chance very soon to experience it.