Quad Screening Positive for down Syndrome

I had a positive quad screen with my son. I definitely know what you are feeling. More than likely everything is fine. That test has so many false positives it is unbelievable. I WILL NOT do the test with my next child. Don't worry (I know it's easier said than done). If you have any more questions feel free to e-mail me.

I had a positive reading as well. Come to find out my doctor put the wrong due date down on my lab work. It was off by 2 weeks. That made all of the difference in the world. My daughter is perfect. Could they be off on your conception date and or due date?

I am so sorry for this, I went through the same thing with my daughter . When the screen comes up "positive" it doesn not mean that th baby as the disease, just certain markers in the blood,chances are it is nothing. If they do not find any of what they call "secondary markers" on the levell 2 sonogram like heart defects or other signs of downs, they will probably pressure you not to get the amnio. I did have one secondary marker which was a CP cyst in her brain so I opted for the amnio and it came out clear. She is healthy and happy and I was soooo worried for nothing. Hang in there, at your age it is very very unlikely to be Down's and the quad screen comes up with lots of false posotives, especially with female fetuses (don't know what you are having though!) Good Luck and feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com if you need any more info. good luck to you and your little one!

Do NOT spend your pregnancy being scared of "possibilities"! :) I have 2 sons, one is 16 and the other is 2 (I'm 42), and because of my diabetes, I also had to have a lot of testing done, even more testing with my younger son...In actuality, if you are constantly "worried" about what MIGHT be wrong or happen, you are actually causing more problems for yourself and your baby. Stress drives up blood pressure, etc.

Amnio's are very safe (yes, there is a small risk of something happening, but that risk is very small). The other thing is...if you DO find out that something is definitely wrong with your baby, you can use this time (your pregnancy) to find out more about it and prepare yourself for handling the needs of a "special care" baby. I feel at your age, though, that the chance of your baby actually having Down's Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21) is EXTREMELY slim.

Keep us posted, and don't worry. Everything is going to be fine.
:) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Often times you can get a positive quad screen and everything is just fine....Very often! I had a scare similarly, and had an amnio and everything was just fine......Keep us posted; you will be in my prayers!
K.

Like everyone else has said, the chance of false positives with this test is unbelievable. I honestly don't know why they do it, since its so unreliable. I skipped it and went straight to the amnio (advanced age and a family history that recommended it). I just want to put your mind at ease in case you do get the amnio...it's not as bad as everyone says it is. To me, it felt like a pinch. I had no problems afterwards although I did take the precaution and have that day and the next off of work. I was so scared because I had heard such horrible things about amnios, but mine really wasn't bad at all.

I second the advice to not panic. The quad screen results can be flukey and are not definitive by any means. If you are concerned, go for the level two sono and then decide if you want the amnio. You are young so odds are most likely in your favor.

Because of my age, we skipped the quad screen and just went for the level 2 with the option for an amnio. I'm just one of those people who likes to be prepared and didn't want any surprises. Like mentioned previously, I wanted to use the pregnancy time to research if needed. I know some people who skip these tests completely. I just couldn't worry one way or the other for 9 months. Keep in mind, an amnio is a choice and you should consider the risks along with other factors before making your decision. I think the risk of miscarriage due to amnio at your age is higher than the risk of trisomy defects.

When we went for our level 2, we first met with the genetic counselor to go over family history on both sides. I swear that was the scariest part. :) She went over all the genetic risks and discussed some things with us. We also went tests for other genetic disorders (ie tay sachs, fragile x) and took a blood test or two. We then met with the Dr and he did the level 2.

Level 2 sonos are kind of fun. You can see the baby moving around and s/he looks like a little skeletal alien (that freaked me out at first). The Dr will look over the baby and take measurements. I think we decided to do the amnio at that point. The amnio itself is not bad and is quick. You get to lie around for the rest of the day and get to take the next few days off -- no lifting, cooking, etc (or at least that's what my Dr let me get away with). It takes a couple of weeks to get the results back.

Hope this helps.

Hi V.,

First of all, don't panic!!! The quad screen comes back with so many false positives AND false negatives (why they continue to have this test, I'll never understand!)...I've had 2 friends with false positives who freaked out!! Everything turned up normal with their babies.

Hugs,
H.

Hi V.-

Just wanted to let you know I also had a false positive and I now have a beautiful healthy 22 month old daughter. That test has an alarming false poitive rate.

Sending positive thoughts your way-
N.

Hi V.,

My quad screen with my 1st child came back for Spina Bifida. I was completely terrified!! My dr sent me to Bannie Tabor at Harris Methodist. He was a wonderful dr. I was scheduled for the more advanced sonogram and possible amnio. He was able to tell from the sonogram that my son was perfectly healthy, so there was no need for the amnio. We had recevied a false positive!! Apparently, there are several different factors that can cause the quad screen to give a false positive. I was so thankful that it was just a false positive. Today my son is a very healthy (and very active) 3 1/2 year old. Good luck at your appt. I will be praying that it is only a false positive for you as well.

I was 20 when I had my son who has Down syndrome. He's six now and is the greatest gift, just as my other two kids are. So, if it does turn out to be true positive for DS know that though the situation isn't what you imagined, it's still a wonderful blessing.

I also had a high risk for Down's (1/49) with my first child. I was scared to death and worried until we got the results of the amnio back (even though they said probably not with the level II sono). My son is perfectly normal and healthy!! Those screenings are just that, screenings, and have a high incidence of "false positives". Easier said than done, but please try not to worry!!

Like one of the other ladies mentioned, I did it differently with my 2nd child. I went ahead and did the screening, but asked that they not give me the results until after my level II sono and amnio. It was much easier to get through it all that way!! (his test ended up normal)

I don't want to concern you, but there is something that my doctor told me about an abnormal test that you should be aware of. He said that showing a high risk of Down's can be an indicator of placental problems in the 3rd trimester. Because of this, he started giving me weekly sono's as soon as my 3rd trimested started to monitor me. I'm sOOO happy that he did, I ended up having low amniotic fluid (a placental problem), but since we caught it early it was easily kept under control. Just something you should keep in mind and also ask your doctor about.

Good luck to you!!