Positive AFP

I know it is easier said than done, but relax!! It is better for you and the baby.

I was 31 when pregnant with my daughter and got a False Positive on the AFP. Other than being a whiny 10 year old, she was perfectly normal. Yes it was an agonizing wait to see the perinatalogist - but thanfully for other reasons I was considered 'high risk' so already was a patient with the office and got in only 3 days... and that even seemed like an eternity

L.

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Lots of great responses... my own experiences have led me to wish i didn't take the AFP with DD1 and did NOT take ANY tests with DS (#2.) Our healthcare workers have a lot of great tools, and I'm sure there are good applications for them, but being told there's a "risk" (which turns out to be nonexistent) and then only having one option (which isn't an option at all) isn't helpful to me. Baby blessings to you!

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I decidd not to take the test because of the high level of false positives, and because of the fact that had I found out something, it would not have changed my decision to have the baby. You have to decide if it is necessary for you to have that kind of information. Good luck.
A

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I really don't want you to worry about your pregnancy although I'm sure it's hard not to. I had the AFP screening done with all of my pregnancies and it always came back fine although my first child had Downs Syndrome. I don't believe in the statistics either for I was only 22 years old. I don't think the test is even worth the money or the the prick of the needle. LOL. It doesn't really show anything and sometimes gives mothers false hope or makes them worry for no reason at all. I know plenty of women who have had children late in life and they were fine. Try not to worry too much and enjoy your pregnancy. Good luck with everything. Lots of love!

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S.
I am 36 and currently pregnant with my first child. A few weeks ago I went to the Perinatalogist for a Level 2 with the possibility of an amnio due to my numbers on a quad screen coming back with a higher risk for DOwn's Syndrome (it was a mistake on the lab's part since i had the early screen at 12 weeks with extremely low risk for Down's; they were only supposed to screen for spina bifida, not the whole wuad screen). We were a nervous reck waiting for our appt. as well! I work with children with special needs so i know the day to day activities, concerns etc with this population. I felt VERY comfortable with the Peri I saw. After all was said and done we did not go ahead wiht the amnio since all of the physical markers looked good. The big ones to look for that have a higher chance of indicating Down's are the absence of a nasal bone, and the Nuchal fold. TO sum it up, all of my tests were screenings....the early screen at 12 weeks, the nuchal fold test at 12 weeks, the quad screen at 16 weeks and the level 2 at 19 weeks. All but one showed a low risk. THe peri felt that the quad was probably a false positive. GOod luck! I hope this helped some!

L.

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Hi S.,
I have an 11 yr old daughter and a 10 month old son and I was told I was at high risk for Downs with my 11 year old and she was fine.
I have an uncle with Downs but not the type that is hereditary so all there info came from my false positives.
My cousin also went through this with her three year old and she is fine also. I have heard this same story sooooo many times.
Try to stay positive and know that it will all work out.

Good Luck!!!!
N.

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I had a positive AFP and my son was fine. I also think that my due date was a week earlier than what they had me down for and that would have made a difference. I did spend a lot of my pregnancy worried about it. Ironically, these were the least of my worries. My son was born early at 32 (31 I think) weeks. And because I was so worried, the first thing I asked my dr was if he had Downs. He only weighed 3 lbs and that AFP test made that my biggest worry, needlessly.

My dr told me his wife had a 1 in 7 risk from that test and their child was fine. I had the ultrasound and felt so much better about it, mostly. There are many false positives, many. So, try and relax and have the ultrasound, you will feel better, mostly ;-)

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Hi There,

It is true that the test results are not accurate. My sister also had that for her first son, and then she was so scared that she went for amniotic fluid testing (which came out OK .. so false alarm by the first test). Her son was absolutely normal. She chose not to do the tests for the second one (Thank God Again Normal Son ) because the first time she had such a traumatic couple weeks. I had AFP test done also and my results were off because of twins .. so I tried not to worry and did not go for amniotic fluid testing (Though last month of my preg. I was very scared and afraid.. ) but everything was fine (Thank God). SO I know the anxiety you are having.. ..but many times, it is a false alarm. So try not to worry .
Take Care.

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S.,
I also had High AFP levels when I was pregnant with my first child. I had them repeat the test. They wanted to do an Amnio and other tests and I just said, no, repeat the test. Amnios are dangerous and I would avoid those unless it is absolutely necessary. Other tests are less invasive but if they repeat the test and the levels are fine, there is no need to go any further. They were even talking about me aborting the baby. I told them absolutely not! It took me 2 years to get pregnant I didn't care if it had 7 heads, I wanted it! The test was repeated and the results were normal. I have a 16 year old boy who is absolutely wonderful!
N.

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Yes, my almost 6 yr old had a +AFP and he's completely normal. Try not to stress out too much although I know how hard that is.

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My scores on this test were bad too. I was sent for the markers ultrasound and my doctor reviewed what the specialist found with me and that was a perfact scan. My son is just over 2 years old now and in perfect health with no flaws. You will be fine, I'm sure. Luck and hugs!

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S. -

I am 38 (will be 39 on delivery) and just had my level 2 ultra sound. But first we had to meet with the genetic counselor. My husband and I decided against any other testing - especially the quad test on our last 2 pregnancies because of the high amount of false positives amoung my friends and all of the stress that they went through. Our genetic counselor said "I wish more people knew that they did NOT have to have that test - that they could say no."

We also decided we did not want amnio unless they saw something during the ultrasound.

Everything went perfect and we are having a very healthy little girl in October.

Don't stress - the odds are in your favor and that test is usually wrong!

S.

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I had a positive on mine with my first child. She was fine when they went in for the level 2 and was very healthy at birth - she is 10 years old now and beautiful. I also had a second child 2 years ago at the age of 39.. test was negative and she is healthy as well. So don't worry -- it will be ok. They can see alot with the level 2 and your worries will be gone.

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I do know someone who had a false positive and that it the reason I choose not to have the testing done when I was pregnant. Just relax and see what happens....there is a much greater chance that it is a false positive than there being a positive positive!

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Hi S. - I too had a positive reading on my AFP test and went in for a level II ultrasound. Everything was fine!!!! I was told that the test has an alarmingly high rate for false positives which makes me think "why do they even do it" - I had 2 girlfriends that also had a "positive" result and both had totally fine pregnancies and healthy babies - like I did! I gave birth when I was 40 - I didn't get married till I was 36. I too was stressing bad about the test until I had the Level II done and I also found out the sex at that time too. The Dr. told me I had nothing to worry about and that we were having a little girl. She will be 3 in a month and is as healthy as a horse. My advice to you is to not panic yourself and stop reading stuff on the internet. Focus on your beautiful daughter you have and having a wonderful, stress free pregnancy!! I wish you all the best!!

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S.,

I made the mistake of taking the quad screen. Mine was positive for down's & trisomy 18. The short of it, is my daughter turned out fine.

I found out my results 3 days before my Level 2 ultrasound. I was in tears. Yes there is a high positive rate, depending on where you look anywhere from 50 -90%. If you look at the lab stats they say less. Anyhow, I went for my level 2 and everything was fine. They offered an amnio, but I was too scared of miscarriage, and complications can occur up to a week after the procedure. I had to work, where I am on my feet for taking time off was not an option. I would not have terminated the pregnancy if it was postive for Down's They Dr. said that was a possibility,and that if the results would not change our minds regarding termination of the pregnacy,then he was OK with not doing it.

I was still kind of concerned, but my mind more at ease. I knew they could pick up the trisomy defects easily on U/S, just a little concerned about downs. I was 38 when I delivered.

My daughter is getting ready to turn 17 months old. She is sharp as a tack.

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My Daughter has very diffcullt pregnancies and needs alot of bed rest when further along because of a cervical cancer issue as a teen. She has a hard time carrying full term therefore a baby's condition in the wome is moderated closely . Her first child was healthy and normal, the second child born while she was in her late twenties was a downs baby. All the tests done did not detect this. He is 7 yrs old now and an amazingly talented child in many areas but slow to learn some things. He also had major heart defects when born which required open heart surjury more than once as an infant. He will have to wear a pacemaker for life but is otherwise healthy. The tests do not seem to be very reliable one way or the other at times.

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A friend of mine, pregnant with twins, had a positive AFP test. At the level II ultrasound, the perinatologist also uncovered some markers for Down's. She and her husband elected not to have any further testing. She delivered two healthy little boys.
As you know, the AFP test is simply a screening device, not a diagnostic tool, and has an alarmingly high rate of false positives. Try not to worry!
Best wishes!

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I am 27 and 38 weeks pregnant with my first child. When the time came for us to take that test, my husband and I figured why not? Before we did, my doctor came in and talked to us about it. His told us that the test gives A LOT of false positives, and he asked us if our baby did have Down's or another disorder, what were we going to do differently. He stated (and we believe too) that God gives us what He gives us, and no matter what, we would raise our child with unconditional love. The doctor also told us about a couple he saw that had 4 miscarraiges before finally having a successful pregnancy. When it came time for them to take the test, they did b/c they were so concerned as to what went wrong with the first 4. The test came back positive, so the mother had an amniocentesis test for further testing. There was an infection after the amnio test (about a 2% chance of occurring) and the baby aborted due to the infection. It turned out that the baby was perfectly healthy, and the test was just a false positive.

Why worry yourself and also put your baby at risk for a test that has a huge false positive?? I would just ask yourself, what would you do differently if you did find out your baby had one of those genetic disorders? Would you love your baby any less? I know that it is hard b/c I still wonder about my baby, but I put my faith in God that He has his plans for our family, and He will take care of us.

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I had a similar experience and so did several friends funny thing we were all having boys, this test is only accurate if you are in the right window so if you have any doubts about your cycle before you got pregnant I would bet this is a mistake after you do your ultrasound I am sure you will feel better!!

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Actually a friend of mine had this "problem." She now has a healthy 14 month old boy and is pregnant again.

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I had a false positive with both my kids. With my daughter (she's now seven) my husband and I were first time pregnant and sent to a genetic counselor and scared out of our minds. We were advised to have an amnio, so we did. And everything turned out fine. She is quite a happy and healthy girl. I also tested high with my son, we declined the amnio, both my husband and I had to sign a waiver. I was sent for extra ultrasounds to monitor development and had a healthy son who is now six. Hope this allays some of your fears.

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It's easy to SAY not to worry. One of my best friends was told her ratio was a 1 in 4 chance!! She was worried until she had her ultrasound. She has a perfectly healthy 2 year old. I will say a prayer for you and your baby.

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Hello S.,

I decided against the test when I was pregnant with my daughter (she is now almost 8) at the age of 34. But, when I got pregnant at 40 with my son, my husband felt strongly that he wanted me to have it. It came back false positive also. I was against both the test and the subsequent amnio he wanted, but everything went fine. Max had none of the concerns the test was for. Unfortunately he came a month early and needed corrective surgery for something totally unrelated that I have now found out is due to exposure to toxic chemicals in my health and beauty products, but that had nothing to do with the false positive AFP. I was not comfortable with the risk the amnio posed, but to be fair with my husbands needs, I left it in God's hands and it all worked out. You have to decide for yourself if it is worth the risk depending on what you plan to do with the information either way. The ultrasound only looks for possible markers and as you said, it is not definite one way or the other. Some feel they need to know for sure so they are prepared ahead of time, and don't want to stress over "maybe" and what if's for the rest of the pregnancy. I have heard of many false positives too. Good luck and God bless.

G.
www.Earthmomz.com
www.Switchingstores.com
www.ConcernedMoms.com

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Hi S.,
I know it is very dificult, but try not to get too worked up about it. Your anxiety over this is not healthy for you or your baby. I had a friend and my SIL both go thru this and both had false positives. I cannot offer any advice because I have not gone thru it myself, but stay stong and remember that the odds are in your favor that your baby is just fine. best of luck!!

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If you get a chance, check out the Motherhood Uncensored blog at www.motherhooduncensored.typepad.com - she had a similar issue and a lot of readers made helpful comments. Everything ended up being normal for her. I'm sorry you are going through a tough time and I hope you get some positive news soon.

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My personal opinion, but at 33 I wouldn't worry about a thing. Those tests have been wrong quite often and I would never rely on them. I'd kick back, enjoy the miracle inside and remember...you are very young still!

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Do NOT stress over your positive results. That test has a 30% false/positive rate!! I too had to go to the perinatologist very nice practice by USF in Tampa. However the stress that was put on my hubby and I for no good reason (I opted out of taking that particular test and the nurse in our practice sent it through anyway so they had to give me the results) I was also 33 just like you, turned 34 during the pregnancy. The same results came through for me. It scared the crap out of me because they also said they thought they saw a cyst that could have indicated a deadly syndrome in infants. It wound up the ultrasound tech misread the ultrasound and everything turned out fine. I have a happy healthy 7month old boy now. You will also!! My oppinion about that stupid test was, If God forbid something were to happen and I found out I was having a child with Down's syndrome I wouldn't abort so why stress, God gives you what you can handle and that's that. I also have another son who is 7 and healthy too. The perinatologist also told us to be absolutely definate (the ultrasound can't tell you 100%) you can have an amniocentesis. He left it up to me and I said no way. There is also a chance that that particular test can abort a perfectly healthy baby. I didn't want that on my conscience. I wish you luck and peace of mind with your new little one.

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My heart goes out to you. I work with handicapped children of all levels of disabilities. Many of whose mothers were told the same or worse diagnosis. Please listen to your heart, you are the one who has to make important, informed decisions and live with those decisions. Just know that what ever your decisions are that you make, will be the right ones. I had a son in 1993 born with a metabolic disorder. It was not diagnosed until it was too late. I know that I made the right decisions at the time, with the knowledge that I had. As far as advice, pray.

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I think you are way too worried at only 33. My doctor never even mentioned any of those tests other than down syndrome and I am 36. Plus, the lady who did my 12 week ultrasound told me that the women who are really at risk are 40 and over...Stop worrying so much and try to relax...I'm sure your baby will be fine...I'm not worried...It'll get ya nowhere..

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I had a positive result that said there was a 1 in 99 chance that my child would have one of "those" concerns. Well, he turned out very healthy but with an extra thumb on one hand. Which could or could have been what the test found. But we had it removed and you would never know the difference. My Dr. asked if I wanted an amnio, which has a slight risk of termintaion, but once I saw the ultrasound, I knew that I wanted that little boy no matter what. I would say not to worry about it because whatever happens you will have a precious baby that loves you very much! And I found more often than not that the tests don't mean a thing!

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Hi S.,

When I was 33 and pregnant with my first child, I also tested positive. My doctor said that I could have an amnio to be sure that everything was ok. I did and everything was fine. Perfectly healthy baby. With my second child I had a level 2 ultrasound and decided against the amnio. Again, a perfectly healthy baby. Yes, it is most likey that your test was a false positive. I think you will feel much better after the ultrasound. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions during the ultrasound. The doctor understands that this is a big concern for you. I wish you the very best! T.

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S.,
Wow, I remember this well. I am 36 years old. I now have a healthy (rotten) 3 year old. This was also my second pregancy (9 years later). My first pregancy went very well. I too went through this exact stress. I cried off and on until I went to the specialist for the level 2 ultrasound. The doctor said he thought everything looked great, but gave me the option of having an amniocentesis, which has risks of its own. I opted out of the amnicentesis because I didn't want to risk hurting my daughter or causing any problems. I decided no matter what the outcome, I was going to keep her. Everything turned out great. You have to make the decision that is right for you. I do know that these tests often do have false positives. Best of luck. Just remember, God only gives us what we can handle.

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Hi S., I am M. and about 7 years ago I was pregnant. I was going to school full time and work part time when one day I was feeling super tired and I went to see my family doc who I told to give me a shot of vitamins because I was feeling super tired. He saw something in my eyes and gave me a pregnancy test. The result well - I was pregnant. I went to see my OBY doc and apperantly all was fine then I had to get the same test that you had done. Unfortunately, when I got there to get the test done my doctor had not faxed over some kind of test results. I think it was blood work so they asked to wait and my doctor sent over this test results and NO ONE called me with the results to begin with. They were unbale to gave the sonogram because there was a problem in my blood test results. The 13th. Y was double or something like making me prone to have a down syndrome baby. I was 30 years old- non smoker - 2 kids already with no complications- what was this about. I came back the following week for a session with the therapist who told me that I could abort the child if I feel so. All kinds of emotions were growing inside of me, should I abort this child? should I keep it? I could not believe they could not see me right away to resolve this problem. It took them about 2 1/2 weeks to give me an appointment while I was dying. The results were negative - my child was completely normal. He is now 6 years old and super healthy. What I got out of all this situation was to stay calm and think positive. Asking too many people for advise if murder because everyone judges thru their own eyes and what is ok with you is not ok for some one else. I made the decision that no matter what my kid had I was going to have him. It gave me peace and acceptance. You can do as much research as you want but it all comes down to YOU- what would like to do either way. Once you have very clear inside of you then you will be at peace. Also,you need to think that your baby is feeling everything that you are feeling so be careful not to put more stress and pain where it would not benefit you both.

Good luck and remember that your baby is a beautiful expression of life and it chose you.

M.

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I don't have person experience with this, but I am a Labor & Delivery nurse in Tampa and have seen numerous moms have elevated AFP's listed on their prenatal records and then they go deliever healthy babies. My sister-in-law had a similar "freak-out" experience where her 20 wk sono showed echogenic bowel. Her AFP was fine, but she was 35 yrs old and at a higher risk anyways for Down's because of that. So, she was also referred to the Perinatologist for a Level II sono. They saw the echogenic bowel as well and basically talked her into getting an amnio. The results for that all came back fine, but she still felt in fear throughout her pregnancy. It did not help much that the perinatolgy docs were blunt with their descriptions of the risks, etc. I can say that I have worked with the perinatologists (Kalter, Angel, Morales, Ramos, Fontenot, Frye and a couple more that I am not as familiar with. They are all extremely intelligent and really know their stuff, but are not always so gentle when they deliver news or results to their patients. They basically tell you like it is! There is good and bad to that argument, but I just wanted to forewarn you that if they sound concerned, they are like that with everyone. They specialize in high-risk obstetrics so problems are their expertise. I wish you the best of luck and hope that everything turns out just fine. Oh, and FYI...my sister-in-law just delivered an extremely healthy baby boy on May 19th:).

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Hey S....as easy as this is for me to say...I'm not in your place wondering...but, my sister in law had a positive one, as well. She went through the next ultrasound just like you have planned. It was a false positive. Everything was fine. She did say that she'd never have that test again because of the extra stress she put on herself for those weeks waiting and wondering for those results. For that reason, I decided with my 3 pregnancies to not even have the test done. I wouldn't have terminated the pregnancy either way...so, it wasn't worth the stress for me. So, with all of that said, good luck...try to relax and I'll be praying for your family and little one inside! :)

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Stphanie,
I pray that you will have your little one no matter what. Children are a blessing. I have a slow child and I love him soooo much! He is the joy of my life and yes he is alot of work. He is now 27 and can be such a pain but with the LORD as my witness he is the best guy in the whole world to me. Doctors make mistakes all the time. Let God be your guide and not the doctors who are not God. 33 is not too late in life to have a healthy child. I have a friend who had two healthy babies in her late 30's. Trust in the LORD, he knows your hearts desire and he can help you through anything.
May God bless you,
L.

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You have received plenty of replies already, but I just thought I'd present you with some food for thought-- Even if the level 2 US shows something, would you base your decision to keep or abort on those results alone? When I was pregnant, I refused all tests because none of them would sway my decision to have my child.

If you do the research, aside from showing an alarmingly high rate of false positives, there is also research that indicates the risk of having the amnio for verification.

I truly wish you well.

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I too had a false positive. I went for the level 2 and all looked fine, but I had another a month later anyway. All looked fine with that one and I elected not to have the anmio. Our boy is perfect! I have a different take than most of the other posters. I am currently pregnant with my second and I had the test done once again. I just decided that if it came back positive, I wouldn't let it bother me at all, now knowing what I know. I looked at it as a chance to have a second ultrasound and more pictures and video! However, the test came back fine with this little girl and I'm kinda bummed that I only get the one ultrasound of her. I was very upset the first time, but I now know not to be. I hope you can calm down a little after reading everyone's experiences. Good luck and let us know!

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I really don't know about the tests... but you said yourself the last few days have been miserable waiting for the appointment. What I want to say is- why take these tests and worry so much about it? Stress and worry are not good for the body, let alone the little body growing inside you. Would "knowing" make things different? (It might make you more depressed or upset.) I understand some people are planners. But whatever the outcome of the baby is, you'll know anyway in a few months. Stay possitive and have a happy pregnancy. Don't let the Dr.'s push you into all kinds of tests (because maybe you have insurance?). I'm not an OB/GYN but 33 isn't so old. Eat right, take care of yourself and Good luck!

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Don't worry about that test, I decided not to get it done only because; you know if it going to happen then its Gods will.

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S.,
My heart goes out to you - it is so difficult receiving this news and waiting to find out. I want to encourage you though. You didn't mention how far along you are, but there is a test that the perinatologist can do call CVS (chorionic villi sampling) which will definitely tell you whether or not the baby has Down's syndrome, b/c it collects actual cells (instead of the marker proteins) so they can test the actual chromosomes/dna. This test can only be done during a short window of time (I believe 11-13 weeks). There are very minimal risks. You are right - there are ALOT of false positives with the afp test.
Now the encouraging part ... doctors do the best they can with the knowledge and tests they have, but they are not God! I was 37 and pregnant with my first baby last year, when the perinatologist told me my baby had a mass of cysts where one of the kidneys should be. He told me that my husband and I must be carriers for a genetic kidney disease, that there would likely be a syndrome and the baby would have liver problems, and severe mental retardation. He said his lungs might never develop, and even if he could be born, he would only be able to survive on dialysis, and at best live 2 or 3 days. He asked me if I had considered termination. Do you know what? The diagnosis was wrong!!! My baby did have only one functioning kidney - but it wasn't a hereditary disease. There was no liver damage or mental retardation. I was in agony for weeks before we got the correct diagnosis. Then later, I was warned that there was a risk he might be born permanently deaf. My son was born last September, and he is fine! (No problems except having only 1 kidney and lots of people are born like that.) Praise God! Try to have faith and pray for the best. Know that whatever the results, your love for your baby will be enough. My son is living proof that even babies who are not "perfect" are worth having and loving. Remember, "If He leads you to it, He will lead you THROUGH it."
Kristen

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I haven't had this experience, but know 2 that have. Both were false positives. One had really elevated levels and the baby was perfectly healthy. I wish the absolute best for you and hope everything turns out perfect!

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20 yrs ago, my mother was told that my sister would be born with Spina Bifida, she had tested positive. They encouraged her to abort, stating that the child would be highly disabled and have no kind of life. Lucky for Jenny she did not. Jenny was born perfectly healthy!!! I think she had a teeny tiny portion of her upper spine not covered, but it was completely non-significant. Had my mother listened to expert advice, my sister would not have been born.
That aside, I understand and appreciate your stress and fear. Children with Down-Syndrome are some of the most loveable human beings alive. They are innocent forever and many of them are more intelligent than people give them credit for. There was a case at Gaither High about 5 years ago where a child with Downs was in AP Calculus and scoring at the top of his class. He had communication barriers and his mother helped him transcribe his work, but this woman could not perform calculus herself. How many of us could?
Best wishes.

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Oh my. I can complete relate and I am so sorry that you have to go through this. Years ago, when I was pregnant with my first, I had a false positive. (This was also before they added a few more indicators to the test and the false positive rate was even higher, but I hear there are still many false positives.) I cried hard for a few days. Our chances were the same as yours 1 in 250. We had the level 2 ultrasound and it showed no signs of Down's, but she wouldn't fully cooperate and let them see her heart. They said she looked okay, but they couldn't rule it out. We opted not to have the amnio b/c our risk of miscarriage was higher than the risk of Down's. She is now a happy, completely healthy just turned 9 year old. I am praying for you and your family.

L.

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I experienced the same thing you did. The AFP test scared us to death, we panicked for a week before we saw our perinatologist for our level 2 ultrasound, spent over an hour with his genetics counselor to learn statistically what we were up against, had the ultrasound and they physically found nothing. I was still going to go through with an amnio because I NEEDED to know that my baby was healthy, but the doctor told me that the risk of spontaneous abortion was now the same (if not a little greater) from doing an amnio than our risk of having a child with Down's Syndrome. 5 months later, I had a beautiful, perfectly healthy if not very noisy and demanding baby girl.

1 in 250 means you have a .025% chance of having a baby with Down's Syndrome. Remember that an ultrasound showing no physical markers doesn't completely eliminate your risks, but reduces them even further. Definitely have the ultrasound. If any red flags go up, opt for an amniocentesis. That test will offer you a more definitive answer. Until that ultrasound happens, try to remind yourself of how remote your odds are of having a less than healthy baby. I know that's easy to say from my end of this conversation, but I've been where you are and I know of a number of other women who have been through the same thing. We all ended up being worried about what turned out to be nothing. Best of luck to you and your husband.

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S.,

Please don't do any more tests! Enjoy your pregnancy. What would you do if it was positive anyway? Certain tests are great! I loved seeing my babies at the ultrasound and it was good to know that they were healthy. But when I had my second at 38 they also suggested that I do 'those' tests as well. I chose not to. I'm sorry that they have you so nervous. Enjoy that baby! J. E.

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We just went through this too. Two weeks ago in fact. Ours came back 1/240, we had the level 2 (which was fine) and saw the genetic counselor (who pointed out that it sounds A LOT better when you look at as a percentage, or a 0.4% chance, that your child will be born with Downs). Two other women I know also had positive results - one came back as 1/18 that her child would have trisomy 18, the other came back as positive for Downs (I forget what her numbers were) and her level 2 was inconclusive - both have healthy children. Because our ultrasound was fine, which lowered our chances by half again (resulting in a number that wouldn't have been flagged), we decided not to do an amnio because the risk of miscarriage is higher than that of there being something actually wrong. Now we wait until October. I'm not worried though, not about that anyway, just about the normal stuff like how are we going to pay for all this without me working and am I going to lose my mind staying home all day.
I was (and still kind of am) kicking myself for even having done the test because I knew that it had a high rate of false positives and I knew that I'd be worried anyway. Plus my husband, who hadn't done any of the reading I had beforehand, was REALLY UPSET. No matter how many encouraging things you read after the fact it just doesn't sink in as well. We did get to watch our son wriggle around for about an hour during the ultrasound, which we wouldn't have gotten otherwise, so I guess there's one good thing to hold up against the sleepless nights etc.
It's an absolutely STUPID test seeing as how it tells you next to nothing and causes pregnant women, who stress out enough as it is and have to get up to pee all the time and can't get comfortable, to stress out and lose sleep. As if we needed that! But it does make the doctors and hospitals extra money, because who is going to refuse things that fall into the category of good for the baby? We all want what's best for the baby, and we all want to most information possible and they (your standard medical professionals) use that. They do the test even though it's about as reliable as guessing and we get worried and go ahead with that super deluxe (expensive) ultrasound and the genetic counselor (gotta pay them too) and maybe even the amnio ($$$). It's what they're trained to do.
Sorry, I'm ranting. I'm sure your doctor is nice (mine was although now I've switched to a midwife) it's just that I really started feeling like my pregnancy, which has been low risk thus far, was being interfered with when it really seems to be going just fine on its own.
Good luck, try not to worry too much.

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