Has anyone heard of new 12 week ultrasound instead of amnio to detect birth defects?

Question

My daughter is 34 and pregnant with her third child. She went into pre-term labor with both babies. The doctor is hesitant for her to have amnio because of this. She did say that there is a new ultrasound test to be given at 12 weeks that is 95% effective in detecting birth defects if used in conjuction with the blood test. Has anyone heard of this

Answer 1

The doctor may be referring to a 3-D ultrasound, but he also might be talking about this new Down Syndrome test. I took this quote from www.gentlebirth.org/archives/preScreen.html

"NEW for 2007! - Down screening urged for all pregnant women - There's a big change coming for pregnant women: Down syndrome testing no longer hinges on age 35. The newest method, topping ACOG's recommendation for everyone, is a first-trimester screening that combines blood tests with a simple ultrasound exam, called a "nuchal translucency test" to measure the thickness of the back of the fetal neck."

Answer 2

I know they now do a blood test for down syndrome and then if that comes back and indicates there is an issue they do the amnio. As far as other birth defects go, they can tell all of the "visual" things through ultrasound, like making sure the heart has all 4 chambers and that the kidneys are developed, etc. They can also check for spinal abnormalities. If there are developmental problems that might occur beyond down syndrome, they may be able to use hormones in the blood. If the doctor told her there was an ultrasound, he probably knows what he's talking about.

Answer 3

Yes, I just had it done on Monday. The technician looks at the amount of fluid at the back of the baby's neck. The more fluid, the higher a chance of Downs syndrome. The ultrasound is also done with blood work (just a few drops from having her finger pricked) and it takes about 7 to 10 days for the doctor to get the results. It does no harm to the baby and is pretty accurate. I'm only 25 and my doctor said it was completely optional, but I wanted to have it done anyway. It wasn't offered with my son, who is 6, so I think it's something pretty new.

Answer 4

Hi Grandma! (Or is it Grandpa? ;-)
I've been a high risk Maternal-child nurse for 25 years. I've worked at u of Washington, U of Colorado in Denver, Seattle Children's and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. That's my background...
In answer to your question- There are some wonderful high definition ultrasounds that are becoming available. If you saw the recent show "In The Womb- Multiples" on the National Geographic Channel recently, you got an idea of what incredible detail they can see. If your daughter is fortunate enough to live
near a center with this equipment, it is entirely plausible that this technology could be used to screen for neural tube defects, as wll as certain other problems By the age of 12 weeks, essentially all of the baby's organs are present in at least their rudimentary form- during the next twenty eight weeks, organs will
continue to grow and mature.
The advent of high def ultrasound is a real blessing to every mom- but especially those moms who have higher risk pregnancies. CVS (chorionic villus sampling), which is done early in pregnancy, does carry with it a signifigant risk for miscarriage. Amniocentesis is not ususally done till the pregnancy is further along, and likewise carries with it some risk of bleeding, infection, and/or early delivery. And if a birth defect is picked up at a more advanced stage, the parents are faced with the often agaonizing decision regarding a late termination of that pregnancy.
So much has changed in obstetrics and pediatrics in the last 30 years! We are truly living in an amzing age! Sadly, many women in the world do not have access to these miracles. For them, one in ten moms will still die in childbirth or soon after, and one in three babies will die before they are two. There's still a lot of work to do. Each of us can do something. Many church groups have well organized and effecient Humanitarian Aid projects. Some of them (for example, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) have specifically targeted maternal-child health issues in their funds allocation. There are also opportunities to assemble basic delivery kits for local midwives in Third World countries that can mean the difference between life and death for babies and new moms...
Anyway, I hope this info is helpful to you. Best of luck to all of you- Happy Baby!
Diana, RN

Answer 5

The ultrasound measures for certain soft markers like the thickness of the skin on the back of the neck. In addition to the results from the triple screen I am sure it is relatively accurate BUT there is no way it is 95%

Also if your daughter is not going to abort because of these tests there is absolutely no point. No result will be reassuring enough to make her feel better.

Answer 6

Yes, I had one. I had to go to the hospital to have it done since their ultrasound machines are a little bit more advanced than your regular OB's, or at least that is what my Dr. told me. I went for a 12 wk and a 16 wk. They can do the ultrasounds where they can see the baby's features...it's amazing!

Answer 7

i've heard of people getting 3d or 4d ultra sounds to check for birth defects if they had abnormal triple screen results. but you are not offered the triple screen until 16 weeks.
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/alpha-fetoprotein_test.jsp
hope this helped