ok so...HELP!?

Question

I am 20 weeks pregnant..my fiancees brother has down syndrome and his niece has autism well the dr ran blood work on me today and it showed that the baby had a high risk for Down Syndrome! they wanna do some test for genetic disorders where they take out Embryonic fluid and examine it! has anyone had this done? I'm scared becuz the dr said if I get it done there might be a chance of a miscarrage

I am 18 and in good health!

I mean no matter what I am keepin the baby and I will love it the same! I just wanna kno if it does how I can educate myself on what to expect,Ect.

Answer 1

This is a sticky situation. The testing the doctor is talking about is called amniocentesis (or amniocentisis, not sure of the spelling). It can be a risky test, so you need to weigh things out for yourself - are you willing to risk miscarriage to find out if the baby has a birth defect? Will anything change if your baby DOES have a birth defect (ie - would you consider giving the baby up or will you love it just the same?). There is definetley higher likelihood of miscarriage, even this far along, in amniocentesis. The other risks of amnio are that the results are not 100% foolproof. They can be, and have been in many cases, wrong. There is also the slight risk that the baby can be punctured by the needle that they use to extract amniotic fluid. I am not sure whether this is the reason for the increased miscarriage or not.

Down syndrome most often occurs in babies who are born to mothers age 35+. You are not in this risk category. Also, down's syndrome isn't something that 'runs in the family' aside from the fact that a mother who has a baby with downs syndrome is more likely to have another with downs (often because she is 35+). Downs occurs at the time of conception, when one of the cromosomes mutates and the baby develops with the disorder. Autism is not a genetic disorder and many speculate whether the connection between autism is actually a sensitivity to thimerosol, which is in many infant vaccines - there is a far lower case of autism among children who have not been vaccinated, or have been vaccinated with thimerosol (which contains mercury) -free vaccines.

This is a tough decision and only you can make it. You need to weigh out whether or not it would affect your decision to love and raise the baby - and whether taking the test and coming up with a bad result (that could really be inaccurate) will cause you too much stress through your pregnancy.

Personally, if I were in the situation that you are in, I would continue with my pregnancy and let what will be, be. You will find out soon enough if your baby has any deformities, and truly, your baby is highly unlikely to be anything other than a beautiful, healthy baby.

Answer 2

Yes, my step-mom had it done, it will cause no pain to the baby and some pain to you. The thing is, you can gain like 20 pounds in 2 months even though your baby might only be 3 pounds. Most of the weight is gained in Embryonic fluid. IT IS NOT PART OF THE BABY!!! It is what the baby is floating around in. You see, the baby is going to the bathroom in that embryonic fluid, and that waste will contain some of the baby's DNA. The needle is going to suck up a little of the fluid, and the docter will do tests on the baby's DNA. I don't know why he told you there is a chance there could be a miscarriage, I guess if he were to touch the baby with the needle, but I highly doubt that is gonna happen, if you stay cool, calm and collected, it should be fine.

Good Luck! Congratulations!

Answer 3

I have not had that done, but I know several people who have. The way they do this is inserting a long needle into your uterus through your abdominal wall. I am told that though it sounds really gross and painful, it is not as bad as it seems.

There are high risks of miscarriage with this procedure, therefore doctors would normally recommend this only when they feel that the benefits outweigh the risks. If you are unsure of this being beneficial and worth the risk, then you may want to get a second opinion. If you want to know how high the risk is, your doctor should be able to tell you the percentage of miscarriages caused by this procedure.

The reasons why you may want to consider going through with this process is to do everything you can as early as possibly for your baby. This test will help you prepare for any problems that your baby may have. This is a good idea for medical reasons, but also a good idea to help prepare you emotionally for a baby that could have problems. It will also give you a chance you learn all you can about caring for special needs of your baby. You may also find out that your baby is just fine and that everything is okay, in this case it'll give you some relief from worry. Stress like that is not good for you or your baby.

I hope that everything turns out well for you and your family. I am sorry that you have to go through this. Try to be positive.

Answer 4

Keep in mind, just because the test shows a high risk, it does not mean it actually is true. My Sister-in-law had the blood work and it showed high risk for Downs Syndrome. The doctor wanted to do the amnio test, but they said no, they weren't willing to take the risk because no matter the answer, they were having the baby. Claire is perfect! No developmental problems at all. Ask yourself first, what are you going to do if the child does have Downs Syndrome. If it does not matter to you, then decide if you want to take the risk. The blood test does give a lot of false positives. I hope everything works out for you! Remember, God does not give us any challenges that he knows we can't handle.

Answer 5

I knew ahead of time that I was high risk of similar disorders, I didn't even allow them to do the original screening. (the alphafetoprotien screen) Look at it this way, IF one of these disorders show up, will you love your baby anyway??? And remember, even an Amnio is ONLY A SCREENING and CAN BE WRONG screening does not CONFIRM anything it just gives you an idea of what your odds MAY be, the only time that such a disorder can be confirmed (in the case of Downs) is by a blood test of the baby after birth. Autism is a horse of a different color, as far as I have read, there is no "test" for Autism. Remember all of these procedures are screenings, and are not necessarily going to be the best predictor of your baby's life.

Answer 6

the risk is pretty minimal but there are some questions to ask yourself before hand.

Does it matter if there are complications? Would you proceed with the pregnancy just the same? Would you receive different/better care if there were a problem? (these aren't just questions for you but for your doctor as well)

I have known at least 3 women who were told that they were at a higher risk only to find out that it didn't apply to them. The testing produces frequent false positives.

I don't believe that autism & downs are related in any way so it is not a compounded problem but I understand why it would scare you.

I do know of one woman who was told her baby was likely to have downs from the test and a brain scan. she would not have the extra testing because she said she didn't care she was having the baby regardless of what problems he/she had.

For some people the testing does allow them time to prepare for what challenges they face after birth.

I wouldn't worry about the test though and I'll tell you why. The doctor would not suggest it if the likelihood that a miscarriage was greater than the info they would find. It is part of their oath.

Please discuss this with your doctor. If your doctor is not willing to have the discussion with you... find a new one.

Best wishes to you and your baby.

Answer 7

An amniocentesis can be a cause for a miscarriage or early birth. I think the way around it would be to ask you this... If the baby was going to have Down Syndrome, would you still want to have it or would you want to abort it? If you are going to keep the baby, there isn't really a need to have the amnio, unless you want to know for sure so you can have things set up ahead of time, such as special care or supplies or nurses, whatever you would need to care for a special care baby. This is something you should talk over with the father of the baby and maybe your parents and your doctor, not a bunch of faceless people on the internet.

Answer 8

Blood tests often give inconclusive results....that's the reason your gynae adviced on doing the amniocentesis. It does carry its risks, one of which is the risk of miscarriage. If you're going to keep your baby irregardless of whether he/ she has Down's syndrome, then I'll advise against doing it. You can speak to support groups, midwives and your chosen paediatrician on what to expect in a Down's syndrome child, and how to take care of him/ her.
And yes, because your partner's side has this history, it's probably genetic, and he might be carrying the gene as well, which does place your baby at a rather high risk for it. So if you'll like to know, go ahead with the amniocentesis. A good qualified gynae knows what he/ she is doing, the risks of the procedure, etc etc....and would advise you on the precautionary measures pre, intra and post procedure appropriately.
So not to worry. Have a talk with your partner, and decide what you both feel most comfortable with.
Good luck.

Answer 9

As far as I know, down syndrome tests should be done within the first 3 months of pregnancy ( 3 way test) and not later. I do not know how helpful getting an embyonic fluid out be after 20 weeks of pregnancy although it is a simple procedure.

High risk of down syndrome does not and should not mean the baby will have it...

Keep your spirit high ok?

Answer 10

Listen, you are going to have a baby and there are possibility/probablity where genetic disorders can be a factor. however, the chances are that your gene(allele) may be dominant and your baby will born very healthy. In any case, regarding that test you have to be positive and depend on your intuition if you want to do this. If you are not satisfied with your physician, consult with others and enhance your views concerning this issue. However, it will be your baby and 1 in 20 billion chance they may happen, but will not. Today's technology has to be utilized, even if nothing will be wrong with your baby, doctors do feed on your past history, and any indicators will influence to recommend the test. It's all because of the money and the system, we become prey to these medical injustice,
Since, you will be having a baby, feel love for this, and stay healthy all the time, be positive about your expectations and God will reward you with a bundle of joy. If perchance there is a difference, still love that child with all thy might. Good luck and God bless you.