Tell me about Prenatal Screening

[ecomommy]

Hi, I'm trying to decide whether or not to do any prenatal screening. I've not done it before with my other four but now I'm a little older and maybe because I've read too many stories of things going wrong, I'm considering it this time. It would not change my decision for the outcome of my pregnancy but I'm wondering if it might lessen my worry, or if it would just increase it! I'm thinking doing the Serum Integrated Screening (first and second trimester blod draws) and possibly a NT scan.

I would love to hear your stories, thoughts and input on whether you would or would not do the screening and why. Thanks!

[Cujobunny]

I've done the screening with all 3 of my pregnancies. This is my 3rd and I'm 35. I definitely take all the results with a grain of salt, knowing that the answer they give you is a "chance" of your baby being born with a neural tube defect, not a yes or no. Any result I got would have never changed the outcome of my pregnancy, and I never even would have gone for any more invasive testing than bloodwork or ultrasound (i.e. no amniocentesis).

Really, the only reason I did it was to have the ultrasound & have a peek at my baby

[taffywelsh]

I did the NT scan, the sequential screen, and the 20-week screen. My results were good--the baby had 1 soft marker which was deemed totally meaningless by the OBs (single ecogenic focus)--and otherwise my results were like 1 in 7,000 for Down Syndrome and similar for the other things they screen for.

Guess what, even with these reassuring results I still can't help questioning them (mainly due to the soft marker, I guess). Also, my stupid brain goes to these other places and thinks about the things you can't screen for (autism, mainly). I have resolved to love and protect my baby no matter what, since I can't know what she will be like and if she will have any of these problems. So basically I shouldn't have bothered with the screens.

I think you should get the screenings if you want but remember that they don't really answer questions, and if you are a worrywart you will continue to have your doubts, as unfounded as they may be.

[lillymonster]

i am 39 and got screenings. My results were good - as in I am not worried, but there is a chance they are not what is really going on. It's just a risk factor. I just got my 20 weeks ultrasound and they said everything looks good. I got them to not get the cvs or amnio, I am too squeamish to get those

[MegBoz]

If it would not change your decision for the outcome of your pregnancy, I wouldn't bother. As others have said, they're not definitive (the "quad screen" - NT scan + blood work, at least). The definitive tests like amnio have a miscarriage risk, so, again, I don't personally see the point in taking that risk if it's not something you would act on. I guess I feel the same way about all medical screenings - if the data isn't something that would impact the course of treatment at all (let's say, with vaginal exams in late pregnancy), what's the point?

Plus there's the time to go have the blood work & scan & the expense. (I had great insurance with #1, so it was covered, but not with #2.)

[WifeofAnt]

I'm only 20 and the only screening we did was the mid-pregnancy ultrasound. Even if I were older and at a higher risk I'm already giving birth in the best 'baby' hospital in the area.
My reasons against the other testing:
1. The triple and quad screenings are just screenings. Even with a 'positive' result you are still much MUCH more likely to have a normal healthy child.
2. At their best they miss 20% of abnormalities completely. Neither the positive results or the negative are 100% accurate.