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This morning I got a call from my doctor, who had received the ultrasound results from Monday, the 20 week anatomy scan. She said the baby looked good, but there was a cyst on the placenta, and that is apparently a marker for Trisomy 18. She wanted me to go in for a blood test (pretty much the same one as the maternal fetal screening, where they screen you for the alphafetoprotein that's a marker for genetic disorders) ASAP. She said something like “it’s a chance of 1 in 341”, or something to that effect. That didn’t really faze me that much, but I am now wondering if I understood her correctly. According to some stats, just my age would put my risk for Trisomy 18 at 1:195.
I am confused as well as worried, because I of course started googling “placental cysts Trisomy 18”, and there doesn’t seem to be a correlation. There are lots of links for T18 and cysts in babies’ brains, and there are links for placental cysts and intra-uterine growth restriction, but those are entirely different things.
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It will take a week to get today’s test results, and even then we won’t really know anything. It’s just a screening. The definitive answer is an amnio, which we cannot afford. My healthcare kicks in on July 8th, when I am 28 weeks. Having to wait another 9 weeks (7 more weeks plus the time it takes to get those results) seems like torture to me right now.Â
Does anyone have any experience with a (possible) T18 diagnosis, placental cysts, or anything related to either one of those subjects? I am cross-posting this in the “I’m Pregnant” section as well as our DDC, I need some input because I’m going a little crazy. Any input anyone has, will be greatly appreciated.
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