pregnant- baby might have down syndrome?

Question

Dear yahoo answer members - I am 23yrs old and this is my first pregnancy. The doctor told me she would like to discuss with me the results of the screening test taken to see if the baby might have down syndrome. I suppose this is not good news, and I have a feeling of what she's going to tell me. Should I be worried if the screening test results have come back positive? Is there a slight chance there might be a mistake? I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone throught this, and would be willing to share their experience or words of wisdom on the matter. Thanks.

A hopefull mom -to-be.

Answer 1

sweetie...no need to get all worked up at this point in time. the AFP, Nuchal fold scan, level 2 ultra-sound are all not 100% accurate in determining if you baby will have DS. the only way to know for sure if your child has down syndrome is an amnio or cvs sampling you will know for sure with these tests. I went through "the scares" with all my boys. during the level 2 ultra-sound with my youngest son however they found some ''markers" he had a thicker fungal fold, shorter long bones, and a congenital heart defect called av-canal...considering he had 3 ''markers'' I was asked if I wanted an amnio done...I took it (no big deal, risk of miscarriage is 1 in 1200 not 1 in 200 like so many seem to think) I wanted to know and prepare. 2 days of agoanized waiting with every emotion runing through my mind I received a call from the doctor...yes, my son has DS. I cried, mourned the loss of my "perfect" baby...but you know something? I did have a perfect baby!!! he is the joy of my soul and I wouldn't change a thing about him...well ok...maybe the naughty part...lol my best advice to you is relax.....listen to what your doctor says and take the time to make an informative decision based on knowledge not fear.
on a side note to 'sexy grandmother' and "daisy" One thing I learned from my son was acceptence of others who may be different from ourselves....too bad your fear and ignorance will keep you from knowing some very wonderful people.

Answer 2

I wish I could give you first hand experience but this is my first as well. I talked with my doctor about this test. If it was the quad screening, then it is the same as I took. This just means there is a CHANCE the baby could have down syndrome, not a definite. Later when they do another ultra sound I believe they do some other measurements to check a little more accurately. You can also have an amniocentisis to see as well. None of these though will give you a definite yes or no. Good Luck and sorry I can not be of more help.

Answer 3

The chances of your baby having down's is like .1% at your age. I did not do the triple marker screen, but later found out that from an ultrasound that my baby had one of the markers for down's. It came back negative later though. My point is, that it is highly unlikely that your baby has it and in pregnancy there can be so many false positives. These tests are supposed to reassure us when in fact they give us so many unnecessary worries! Stay positive, I'm sure if they found something they will do additional testing and then you will find everything to be fine!

Answer 4

You should only be worried if the results show that the baby will not be healthy...it isn't necessarily bad news in any way. A baby is a blessing, whatever disability they might have. Many people with this condition manage to live fulfilling, happy lives.

My friend's mother was told that he would have Down's Syndrome when he was born, but he didn't. So in my limited experience, it is possible to make a mistake like this.

Answer 5

It depends on your beliefs. That's very hard. But, I've seen a lot of joyful happy down syndrome kids. With equally happy parents so may be it's not wise to "play god" and try and determine what will and won't be.

I would say that her telling you she wants to discuss the results may not necessarily mean the were positive for a likelihood of downs syndrome. My doctor always discussed these results with me and they were all very much in the normal range. Besides, you are so very young I think the odds are well in your favor. It's when you are in your late 30's that the risks increase exponentially. I have heard older men have a tendency towards having higher rates of Downs offspring.

Answer 6

I haven't been in your situation, but I just wanted to tell you that two of my sisters work with kids who have downs syndrome. I have met these kids (one has an older brother who is friends with my son). These are some of the sweetest, most loving kids you will ever meet. I don't know what the odds are that your results are positive, but just know that either way you will have a beautiful, wonderful child. I hope you wouldn't consider terminating the pregnancy because of this. Both of the kids I know also have siblings who do not have Downs syndrome. I wish you all the best.

Answer 7

I had an ultrasound done at 11 weeks, and they had told me that I have a high chance of my baby having down syndrome, but then I had a blood test where they check for the same thing and it balanced everything out. try not to worry too much, it may not be anything, they are not 100%, and after speaking to your doctor he will probably suggest an ultrasound, and they will able to see there if the baby is fine, which it probably is. good luck.

Answer 8

Do not listen to anyone telling you to terminate this pregnancy, no matter what the outcome of the tests. Just because a child has down's or any other disorder does not indicate that he/she is any less perfect than a child without these disorders.

Children with disabilities bring much joy & love to millions of family members every single day. Each child is a gift from God, no matter what their limitations.

Answer 9

Hi why worry about what you do not know?
Stay calm and understand that it is the Doctors responsibility to inform you of your results no matter what they are so just look at this as just another pregnancy procedure and dont get so worked up.
I know several people who have downs children and the rewards from the children to the families they are in is amazing.They are all very loved and very loving children.
Put your mind at rest.
Good luck

Answer 10

I worked in maternity for six years. The test you took was the AFP test. For many people it does come back positive, the doc will probably want to do an amnio after that. One of my closest friends had this happen, her initial AFP test came back positive, and her amnio was negative. I would not worry until you have the final results in hand!