NT ultrasound

[Anonymous]

My OBgyn is advising skipping the NT ultrasound because the NIPT came back all clear. Is there any reason to do the NT besides checking for Down’s syndrome?

[Anonymous]

Never heard that before. I was always told the combination of the two is what rules out any issues. That aside, it’s a chance to see your baby which is always nice.

[Anonymous]

I would also push for the NT scan — the fluid they measure also can be a marker for significant heart defects, which may not be picked up on an NIPT. Plus, at mine they were able to review a lot of other anatomy (like placental positions, checking to make sure the heart has 4 chambers etc). At minimum, it is mentally reassuring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would also push for the NT scan — the fluid they measure also can be a marker for significant heart defects, which may not be picked up on an NIPT. Plus, at mine they were able to review a lot of other anatomy (like placental positions, checking to make sure the heart has 4 chambers etc). At minimum, it is mentally reassuring.

+1
2 pregnancies, had both the NIPT and the NT scan with each of them, and that was standard at both of the practices where I was seen. I've never heard of skipping the NT scan due to having a low-risk NIPT result.
NIPT isn't fully diagnostic, and things may be picked up on the NT scan that wouldn't be caught by the NIPT.

[Anonymous]

You can ask for your OB’s logic. If over 35 I’d for sure get it. My OB made me redo it because my first one wasn’t clear. She was intent on getting the measurements. And I also had clear NIPT.

[Anonymous]

The logic was NT has false positives that can lead to unnecessary additional testing.

[Anonymous]

i did PGT testing, NIPT and NT... genetic counselor at GW recommended doing both despite having PGT testing.. I see no reason to skip it. if you get a positive to anything you can always choose what additional tests to do or not do.

[Anonymous]

I would not skip it. It’s simple and non invasive. What is your doctor’s reasoning?

[Anonymous]

No way.

[Anonymous]

Would not skip it. My MMC was found at my NT ultrasound, after NIPT came back with no abnormalities.

[Anonymous]

That is so odd that your doctor wants to skip. That would be a big red flag for me personally. The NT is important to catch many potential health issues outside of what the NIPT looks at. Also, the NIPT does have a (very low) false negative rate, but it is possible, so it’s good to look at the soft markers the NT provides as well.

[Anonymous]

According to ACOG guidelines, while a normal NIPT result can reduce the need for an NT scan, it's generally still recommended to have a nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound even if your NIPT is normal as it can provide additional information about potential fetal abnormalities not detected by NIPT alone; however, always consult your healthcare provider for the most personalized advice based on your specific situation.

Cell free is better for detecting chromosomal abnormalities. NT still used in places that don’t have access to cell free and can be used to find other structural anomalies with the brain, calvarium and thick NT—> cardiac abnormalities.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you should switch doctors? Never skip the NT ultrasound.

[Anonymous]

I think I’ve only had one, maybe 2, NT scans out of 5 pregnancies/ births? Definitely not for my 2 40+ pregnancies with excellent doctors at a major research university…but I don’t think the two prior either. Yes for the first when I was 30, 14 years ago. I sort of wondered what happened to those scans…

[Anonymous]

So I got the NT scan after all and fwiw it seemed like a waste of time. They did do the Nuchal fold and nasal bridge measurements but everything else is too small… and cancelled the 16 wk scan they were going to do. Sooo it seems like maybe 16 wk scan would have been more useful. Who knows.