Week 12 Ultrasound
October 3, 2007
I had no idea how many different prenatal screening tests were available, it was overwhelming! They are nice for peace of mind, but are they really all necessary? It seems like there were about 100 to choose from, or maybe we were just overwhelmed at our first appointment. Aside from the standard blood tests they do at the first OB appointment, we decided to get the nuchal thickness down screening test. They actually measure a small area at the back of the neck via ultrasound, and the measurement correlates with the risk for down syndrome. The ultrasound plus 2 blood tests (that also test for trisomy 18 and spina bifida) are a very accurate and relatively non invasive screening tests for these different disorders. With family history of DS (not that that is a big risk factor, but some) and working at a children's hospital, it was mainly for reassurance and peace of mind. Not that we would do anything different if found out our baby had DS, but decided it would be nice knowing that before the baby was born. Plus, I could get an ultrasound earlier than the usual one at 18-20 weeks, and it was covered by insurance. Who wouldn't want to see their baby as often as possible?!
Anyway, the measurement on the ultrasound looked good, and with the blood tests, it showed that my risk for having a baby with either down syndrome, trisomy 18, or spina bifida is very low at about 1 in 10,000. Very reassuring!