Blood Test for down Syndrome

I am not sure about the accuracy of your first test result, but I did want to share that I have a friend who was advised to have amniocentesis done on the basis of the blood test and ultrasound indications (short limbs and the like) that suggested her baby had Down Syndrome. I cannot remember whether she did the amnio or not, but in any case her baby was fine. My sister-in-law had amnio done with her first pregnancy solely because she was an older mom and was therefore at risk for having a baby with DS, and she lost the baby because of the amnio (I don't mean to make you worry -- the farther you get from the test, the less likely it is that will happen to you, and of course you already made the decision; everything will probably be fine for you). So, with the second and third pregnancies, she did not have amnio done. Nothing in either pregnancy indicated any problems, but her youngest son was born with DS. He (my nephew) is the loveliest, happiest child. I don't mean to say that it hasn't been difficult raising a child with DS, but just that his parents think he is worth every moment, and even as a not-so-involved aunt, I have to say that he is delightful (he's 2 1/2 now). I know it will be difficult, but no matter what happens with the test and the baby, just try to make the best of it and enjoy things for what they are. Remember, your baby can tell when you're worried! Whether or not your baby has DS, motherhood will be a wonderful, magical, fulfilling experience.

My heart goes out to you - I would leave this in God's hands, just give it up to Him, all the worry and concern. He gave you this precious baby as a gift, whether it be a boy or a girl, blond or brunette, Down's Syndrome or not. He will give you the strength you need. Do you want to know the results? Will it change your mind about carrying the baby to full term or not? If it won't change your mind about having the baby, then the test results don't matter. God already knows what your baby looks like, and He placed it in your womb NOT by accident. Good luck to you, enjoy your pregnancy, and look forward to holding that beautiful precious baby which you will fall head over heels in love with as soon as you see it!

Hi Lili, We just went through the same thing and it's really frightening. The good news is, if your quick test came back as healthy then the baby is healthy. Sometimes they can't get results with the quick test so you have to wait for the week to get results, but if they can get results with the quick test, the results are accurate. So, congrats on your healthy baby!

Hi Lili - I was told to have the amnio as well. Did the quick test and since in amnio they're actually taking cells from the amniotic fluid and examining them, it's over 99% accurate. What they do in the quick test is add a dye to a small sample and then count the number of chromosomes. Down syndrome babies have an extra chromosome. They did not find that extra chromosome, so you can be over 99% sure your baby is does not have downs. When you get the final test results back, the results are almost totally accurate. More than 99.5%. Our baby was fine in the quick test and is fine now at 1yr. Good luck with you new baby!

I too took the test and it came out positive for a Down Syndrome Infant. I refused to take the Amnio because I was sure the tests were accurate. DS runs in my family, and my brother has it. Down Syndrome children are a blessing and I knew this baby would be loved just as much as any other baby. But, being family with DS, it was easy for me to say this. So my husband and I told everyone our baby would have down syndrome. We prepared for it by taking all necessary steps. My husband even took a special class for parenting a down syndrome infant.

Needless to say, and to our great suprise, our baby was born 100% perfectly healthy with no down syndrome.

My heart goes out to you. Tough times when you should be so happy!

Worrying won't help anything.

I was a high risk pregnancy and it was suggested I get amnio. My husband and I had a long talk about the test and what if.... We realized that we wold not terminate the pregnancy either way and so we didn't get the test done.
I hope the next results come back very soon!

Lillana,
Congrats on the pregnancy. I guess these past few days have been with mixed emotions though. The testing for down syndrome is such a personal thing. I opted not to do the extra testing for those things during my pregnancies because no matter what I was having the baby. It just would have made me hate my pregnancy and would have been harder to bond with the baby I think. On the other hand some people really want to know. To be prepared before. The thing is these tests are so inaccurate. I have a girlfriend who took the test and all was fine and it turned out her daughter had down syndrome. It was a shocking blow to her when the baby was born, but here she is 5 years later and is truly an advocate for down syndrome. She is even in the process of adopting another child with down syndrome from another country right now. It's an amazing story. But if you would like please let me know if you'd be interested in my friends contact info. She lives in TN, but that doesn't mean she can't tell you how she dealt with things. But I suppose if you've gone this far with the testing just hearing the results of the second part of the test can't hurt.

The same thing happened to me. I didn't have the amnio though. I didn't want it. They just did an ultra sound and measured my son. THey found all measurments were fine and they said it was up to me if I still wanted the amnio. My son is fine. He does not have down syndrome. I wouldn't worry. That's not good for baby. I am sure your baby is fine. I pray for you and your baby. I know that God is taking care of him or her. You don't need to worry..

It's very common for them to come out positive and the baby be fine! If the test comes back normal, there's a very high chance everything is normal. My cousin had it come back positive for all three of her children...they were all fine. The last one she did have the amnio and it came out normal. Don't worry!! Enjoy your pregnancy!

this happens all the time, the blood test shows that it is possible but the amnio is the real deal. I would not worry too much if the first result is normal. The 2nd result is not coming any faster, so let it go and relax.

I have three children and I've never had the test done. I was told by all three doctors that often the first test has a false positive. If the one you just had done came back negative for Down's Syndrome, I wouldn't worry. I know it's scary, just hang in there!

Hi Lili, Just want to let you know that here in Boston they perform two blood tests in order to determine the chance of DS. They follow up the first blood test with an ultrasound and then they do a 2nd blood test. I am 45 and having a baby in December and they have not even suggested an amnio. I absolutely LOVE my doctor and the hospital where I had my first and will now have my 2nd child. I don't know if this helps. Also, a good friend once told me, always always get a 2nd opinion. God Bless and good luck to you too. Also, my sister had a similar scare about 7 years ago when she was pregnant with her youngest. That baby is now a beautiful blooming 7 year old girl;-))