NT test?

[Anonymous]

I'm interested in hearing about experiences with the nuchal translucency test. I'm 39 and had an amnio the last time around, and am fully prepared to do that again if need be. My OB really pushed the NT as a means of possibly avoiding the small risk of m/c associated with the amnio, which I guess I can't argue with. But the whole idea of getting more refined "odds" makes me nervous - eg., if the odds are high, I'll only be a nervous wreck until the amnio anyway. On the other hand the NT is noninvasive, so I guess I'm thinking why not?

Also, can the NT give you a good idea of the gender?

Thanks for any feedback!!

[Anonymous]

If it's noninvasive and you are willing to have the amnio, then why not? I know the refined odds can be nervewracking, but so can the whole amnio. I went with the NT for that very reason...I didn't want to just jump to the more invasive procedure if my NT came back okay. My NT was too early to give an idea of the gender, though.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

One thing to keep in mind is that while the NT test pretty accurate, it's still only a screening test while the amnio is a diagnostic. If you would prefer to know for sure, then I would probably do the amnio. If you go to a provider that does many amnios, your risk of miscarriage should be very small. Also, the NT test is done fairly early (the latest it can be done is 13w6d) so they most likely won't be able to tell you the sex. I personally had a really great experience with the NT test - and getting that extra ultrasound was an added bonus (but I think that you get an ultrasound with an amnio also, right?).

Good luck to you and congrats on your pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

If you decide you want diagnostic, consider CVS. It gives you more information than an amnio and is very safe if done by an experienced place, like the Genetics and IVF Institute in Fairfax. I went there and had a great experience. People fly in from other parts of the country to go there. It is also done earlier than an amnio.

[Anonymous]

I had it and you cannot find out gender (too soon) and my numbers came out good (but I still worried the whole pregnancy) then I said something toward the end to my sonogram tech--(so at this point can you mostly tell if something is wrong?) She says to me--well a few months ago I had a patient whose numbers were great on the NT but had a down syndrome child so it's not 100% accurate. I would have an amnio next time around so I don't worry that whole time. (They are the sweetest children but just good to know what to expect)

[Anonymous]

I knew I wanted a diagnostic test and was advised to use the NT to help determine whether to get the CVS or wait for the amnio. The idea is that if you get "bad" results from the NT, you can have the CVS just a week or so later and know the karyotype that much sooner. If the NT screening results are "good" you may feel more comfortable waiting for the amnio (cvs is still seen as riskier than amnio).

Like a pp said, the NT is only a screening test while the cvs and amnio are diagnostic. The NT is not a perfect substitute for the other tests.

[Anonymous]

If your insurance will cover it (and I'd wager a lot that it will), why not? It could help ease your mind, and like a PP said, if your numbers come back with questionable results, you can take appropriate measures (CVS or amnio) more quickly. Of course it's not perfect, but it's also no risk to you or the baby (unless you believe that an extra ultrasound could potentially be harmful to the baby, which I unquestionably do not).

[Anonymous]

My experience with the NT was not great. I went in thinking it would reassure me, but I got bad odds from the NT test -- 1 in 10 chance that baby would have DS. Not reassuring at all! But after I got the blood work back a few weeks later, my odds went to 1 in 40, which made me feel better. And DD was born without DS or health problems. So, like all screening tests, take the results with a grain of salt. Even though it's supposed to be a more accurate predictor, it's still not perfect.

[Anonymous]

I lost a pregnancy to age related DS in 05. When I got pregnant again in 06-we decided to go for a diagostic test vs. NT. We drove to Phili, and went to Thomas Jefferson's Genetics department (pioneers in the CVS)-came highly recommended from my RE. Had the CVS, transcervically thankfully, but unaware that they also did a NT before the procedure. After the procedure, we were told that the NT was higher than average-our chances of our baby having DS was 50/50. I literally lost my mind! Having the CVS would have been the next step if we had just had the NT, so we were covered. Turns out, we got the prelim results on Monday (the procedure was Friday)-and our baby boy had all his chromosomes.

I was 42 when I conceived my son-my insurance covered all the expenses. I think if you're over 35-most insurance companies cover a CVS, NT and or amnio. One other note-the CVS covered OVER 2500 genetic disorders as well.

[Anonymous]

I had an NT and don't have any complaints about the procedure per se. I know it's only about 80% accurate though.. One thing I will say is that make sure the lab they send your bloodwork to is part of what your insurance covers Mine turned out to be out of network because the actual NT was not performed at my Dr's office and so I was on the hook for that part of the test. I had previously called to ask if the place I was getting it took my insurance and they said yes, but since they did not tell me that they outsourced the lab work, I had to pay for that part.

[Anonymous]

The nice thing about NT is that if you have it on the early end of the window (11 weeks 0 days is the earliest), and the results are worrisome, you can still get CVS, which would allow you to know if there was a chromosomal problem much earlier than amnio. If you wait for amnio, you'll likely already have announced your pg to others (since it's #2, you'll show even earlier) before you get the results.

FWIW, I got the nuchal test both times, amnio the second time after getting somewhat elevated risk results with NT (everything was fine). I like as much information as early as I can get it, so I can't imagine not getting the NT. If you educate yourself about what the results mean, even an elevated result won't necessarily freak you out. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I think it's better than 80% accurate (but I'm too lazy to look up the real number). It's definitely more accurate than the other screening tests - triple/quadruple screen.

I didn't have any problems having insurance pay for my NT test, and I am not over 35 so there was no age factor.

[Anonymous]

OP here - Thanks so much for all the feedback! I really, really appreciate hearing both sides of the argument. Do the results for the NT come back quickly? I've just scheduled the test for 12w0days - and the center does not do amnio until 15w (although my doctor also suggested that we could pursue the CVS test if the results are really worrisome.) I'm just trying to figure out when I might look forward to feeling confident and optimistic about this pregnancy. After a m/c and some complications already this time around, I've been trying to keep myself from getting too hopeful until I have good reason to do so...

[Anonymous]

anyone know exactly how much "riskier" a CVS is versus an amnio?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:anyone know exactly how much "riskier" a CVS is versus an amnio?

This may be a somewhat frustrating answer but it depends on the person/place doing it. Go to an established place and ask for their specific risk numbers; it doesn't have to be riskier at all.