This is the alfa feta protien test that is used to determine abnormalities. My doctor recomended that I do an amniocentesis. I don't feel comfortable doing it. Has anyone ever been asked to do one. How was it did it reveal anything beyond the ordinary?
I am only 30 years old its my first pregnancy. thank you
2006-09-07 16:49:31 · 16 answers · asked by MZBET 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
Ultimately the answer lies in what you are more afraid of
Miscarriage or an abnormal baby
Weigh up what will happen to the rest of your life if you have an abnormal baby vs a miscarriage and the risks of the test versus the risks of the test being wrong.....
This is a life long decision
2006-09-07 18:36:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the test done only so I could research what I might be facing. And that is a big might. I personally wouldn't have the amnio done. I'd do my homework on Downs and spinabifida and just be prepared should the worst happen. But I'm going to bet that your baby is fine. Like many others have said that test is prone to false positives. There is no cure for these conditions, so why bother potentially causing a miscarriage with an amnio? I'd wait until your organ scan. It's only 5 more weeks away (typically if you had your test done at 15wks) and if you have a competent radio-tech they can pick up on defects.
It's up to you honey, this is your baby afterall. But just remember that no matter what an amnio tells you, you can't change it. Good luck sweetie. =)
2006-09-07 17:33:47 · answer #2 · answered by jenpeden 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't do the amniocentesis unless you are over 35 years of age! There is quite a bit of risk involved, and there is likely nothing wrong with the baby. Not only am I a health care professional with firsthand knowledge of how faulty this test is, I have had a positive AFP test myself! That baby was fine, with absolutely no health problems, and is eight years old today! No genetic problems of any kind! Tell them you would like a biophysical profile (level II ultrasound) to look for markers instead! They should be able to give you a good idea if there is a problem by performing this testing. The best of luck to you!
2006-09-07 16:56:31 · answer #3 · answered by alone1with3 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That test is soooo unreliable I think its like 45% of results will be false positives. And an amniocentesis carries risks. With my pregnancies I denied that test. Even if my baby would have those abnormalities I would still have it. I would research exactly what the risk of the amnio is and then decide if it is worth jeopardizing what may be a perfectly normal baby!
2006-09-07 17:02:31 · answer #4 · answered by kristi p 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My obstetrician brought up that test, and then he said, "but before we talk about this I have to ask: If it turns out there's something wrong with the fetus would you abort it?" I said I wouldn't and that I'd deal with it if there were something wrong with the baby.
He said, "Then there's no point even doing any tests."
That's a question for you, really. That, and the question to the doctor of whether or not the amnio may reveal some problem (maybe a secondary problem related to any genetic problem) that may need to be addressed and/or fixed while the baby is still in the uterus.
2006-09-07 17:18:09 · answer #5 · answered by WhiteLilac1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know of women that had positives also, and went ahead w/amnio, and had perfectly health babies...nothing was wrong. However, there is a good chance of problems if your test was pos. I would follow Dr. 's advice if I were you. I've also known of babies lives being saved because amnio was done. At least if something were wrong you would know what you were facing. What if a fetal surgery, or medication could save your baby? There are alot of measures Dr.'s can take while a baby is still in utero if problems are anticipated. ....Something to think about! Hope everything works out for you.
2006-09-07 17:00:36 · answer #6 · answered by Jenintn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the same thing happen to me. I opted to do the amniocentesis and they did a very in depth sonogram. I then realized they could have just done that for me. My sister had it happen to her and I advised he to do the amniocentesis because I did and 2 or 3 weeks later she had a miscarriage due to an infection caused by the amniocentesis. I would just wait it out and get a very in depth sonogram. It is best you not take a chance.
2006-09-07 19:05:21 · answer #7 · answered by kay S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The test have alot of false positives so if you dont want to risk the chance of miscarriage with the amnio just wait until you have the baby. When you have the sonogram they will be able to tell you if your baby has spinabifida or the heart defect that usually goes with Downs Syndrome. I skipped this test alltogether because it's so unreliable and I wasn't going to take a chance of miscarriage with the amnio.
2006-09-07 16:52:35 · answer #8 · answered by Melissa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sometimes the blood test comes out positive it does not mean that there is something wrong with your baby. one of my friends had the test done and hers came out neg. . another friend had blood work done it was positive but did'nt get the amniocentesis test and the baby came out fine. another friend is 41 and was at higher risk, had blood work that came out positive and decided to do the amniocentesis which came out negative. She had a healthy boy last month. If you decide to get test done remember to stay off your feet for 24 hours. Good luck
2006-09-07 17:05:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my test came out abnormal too my baby was fine thank God. My doctor did offer the ammino to me but he said he was optimistic. It depends on what you would do if the results show something wrong. I knew I couldn't get an abortion so I chose not to have amino.I was 30 years old when I was pregnant too. GOOD LUCK
2006-09-07 17:00:27 · answer #10 · answered by bridget36 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋