any other pregnant women had an abnormal result of a blood test for down syndrome etc.?

Question

my ob drew 2 tubes of blood from my arm last visit. she checked for down syndrome and other birth defects, her nurse called me today and said that the test came back abnormal. i had too much protein in my blood and now they want me to come in 2 weeks from now and do a level 2 advanced ultrasound to try and detect if there are any problems. i am so worried. have you had this happen to you and if so is there anything to worry about?

Answer 1

The blood test you took is not really a test. It's just a screen to find out whether there's a reason to take a test, such as an ultrasound, to look for a problem. Your odds of having a problem are still low.

P.S. All tests are elective - nobody can force you to take one. But remember, this one is just for seeing if you need to take a nother test. Using "positive" or "negative" to describe the result of the blood screen is very misleading, and causes unnecessary worries too.

Answer 2

I'm not pregnant, nor never have been, but i do know a little tiny bit about this kind of test. What i understand is that when the test comes back abnormal it does not necessarily mean that there is a defect with the baby. Often it is just one of those red flags that would have your ob check for concerns because it **could** indicate a problem. ie/increased protein doesn't infinately equal birth defect.
I know that probably doesn't really make you feel any less worried, but just know it's not for sure going to come out bad news. I understand your worry and i really hope things go well for you - no matter what happens.

Answer 3

How far along are you? Was it the 14/16 week test?

That test is HIGHLY unreliable. But, has to be offered due to malpractice lawsuits. Please don't worry about it! My cousin had the same results. She even had ultrasounds (but they couldn't tell anything from the ultrasounds).

Her doc even told her she could still abort the baby if she wanted to, but she was appalled at that option. She kept the baby and delivered a healthy baby boy. He's such a cutie pie too :)) So much different than her other kids (he's shy and really loving - has a great sense of humor at 5). Once again NO problems. He doesn't even need glasses or braces ;)

You can opt not to have the test. That's what I did. All it does is make you worry :(((

Good luck momma, it'll be alright!

Answer 4

Hi...there are so many false positives in the triple screen blood test, personally I think it should be an elective test .all it does is cause worry and stress on new mom's to be! I went through it with all three of my boys, I also had the ultra-sound done with each of them. my 3rd son showed markers of DS (he had a thicker fungal fold as well as a congenital heart defect called av-canal) so I opted for an amnio with him, not because I wanted to abort, but I needed to know for my own well being and be prepared. when the test results came back he did indeed have DS, I was 5 months pregnant at the time. after the initial shock I began to learn everything I could about DS and what programs were out there for my son, so he would get the best care. when he was born it was one of the happiest days of my life...I was prepared to be the best mom I could be to him. now he is a bright 3yr old who goes to early intervention preschool and is adored by all who meet him...I couldn't ask for a better child! the love that he shows to all is unbelievable and he has become my teacher as well. he has taught me patience and acceptance and to look past the disability to the beautiful soul underneath.

Answer 5

I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter who the doctors swore up and down had downs... they did blood work, and 3 ultrasounds and where still saying yes she had downs... we finally went to a specialist out of town who checked her and said that he couldnt be 100 percent that she didnt have it but that we could go in and could pull fluid out and have it check... My fiance and i decided not to do that since there was a 50/50 chance of miscarrying her anyway... We went on everyday as if we hadnt heard this news.. I mean your not gonna love your child any differently if they do have downs right??? and theres nothing you can do while pregnant to change things... I now have a beautiful 19 month odl who is perfectally health and doesnt have downs.... DOnt stress tahts not good on the baby... I do have a cousin with downs, and i tell ya what hes the smartest kid in his class (goes to a "normal" school with no special treatment) he has taught our family not to take life for granted and to live everday to the fullest....... Enjoy being pregnant and take a breather everythign happens for a reason

Answer 6

When my sister was pregnant they gave her the options of running the tests or opting not to! They explained what the results meant and how they were judged. Her doctor told her that there was no way to detect if they would have problems, it just told that there was an elevated chance of having problems. They also told her that if she knew that she wouldn't be terminating the pregnancy no matter what the results were, they would reccomend not having the tests ran! They told her that it would give her unneeded added stress and if she wouldn't change her mind about having the baby, why stress herself for no reason!
Basically, as I said, it can't detect that there will be a problem, just that there is an elevated chance of having a problem!

Good luck and I pray for you and your baby's health! Congrats!

Answer 7

I know so many women, myself included, who have had positive test results for Down's that turned out to be false. However, I would not discourage you from further testing. My quad-screen came back elevated and I went through an amnio to make sure everything was ok. I was worried sick, but it turned out the baby was fine. You have to remember that these tests are not foolproof, but they also serve a purpose. There are many worse things that can happen than just Down's Syndrome...I hope everything works out for you and your baby is healthy.

Answer 8

I'm having this test done next month. They gave me a paper on it and it says that 5 percent will test positive for birth defects but only 2 percent are actually born with them.

Hang in there. I know it's tough.

Answer 9

I had my blood taken when I was pregnant and it came back abnormal.When they tested my blood they said it was positive for syphilis.They re-tested my blood and it came back negative. I wouldn't worry about it until you get an ultrasound or get re-tested it happens a lot i think.

Answer 10

Try not to worry yourself until they do the other tests...sometimes your tests can come back abnormal if they have your due date wrong...that happens ALOT! So I wish you the best of luck, and don't stress out!!!