Deciding Weather or Not to Do Quad Marker and Serum Integrated Screening?

If you don't want to, why do they want you to? Is there some issue to be concerned about, or is it a routine recommendation?

(I probably wouldn't either. But, if there is a clear sign something is wrong and they want to know what it is, then maybe, so we can be better prepared. But just to see if there could be something wrong? nah.)

I agree with Julie B. 100%. The abortion issue isn't an issue unless you let it be - genetic testing doesn't have to be about abortion. I had my children at 36 and 38 and not only did I do the screening you are talking about, I opted to do amniocentesis for both pregnancies(both normal). I wanted to know if I was going to have a special needs child or not. You do have to do research, prepare delivery teams and find special pediatricians if you have such a child. Genetic conditions ( such as Downs syndrome etc.) caused by a gene problem are readily detected and worth knowing about. THe vast majority of disabilites are genetic, but be aware that not all are. I know a family who has a child with the rare Cornelia de Lange syndrome which is a horribly mentally and physically debilating problem but it is not a genetic problem( they had a clue on ultrasound something was wrong but there was no genetic test for it). It was a random developmental problem that occurred during the pregnancy. As it was not genetic, they opted to have one more child - who is perfectly normal. THey need a lot of specialized drs., specialized daycare, state aid etc to care for this child. She needed a very specialized delivery team. They NEEDED to know ahead of time to prepare. Obviously they have a very rare scenario but it does exemplify the need to be prepared for any special needs child. Most genetic testing comes out just FINE. In the case of a postive result, you are usually sent to a perinatologist for further testing to determine if it is a false positive or not. In the case of a false positive it it no different than a mammogram result coming back questionable and stating they need to do additional testing. It happens in all areas of medicine. Medicine is not a perfect science but it can be a tool to help us. You decide what is best for you. Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy.

Hi S.~
First of all, congratulations!! Although the tests will not change your decisions, they would be very helpful for your doctor and delivery team. If there is a possible problem with the baby, they would be prepared to handle it at delivery and it could possibly dictate where you should deliver. Best of luck!

I wish people would stop thinking that if one of these prenatal tests is positive that abortion is the result. I have seem many families who choose not to have an abortion. The benefit is if your baby does have a problem you can deliver at an institution who can handle the problem and have the appropriate people at the delivery. If you deliver at an institution who can't handle your baby's problem, the baby will be transferred to the appropriate institution while you stay at the hospital where you delivered. Also if the problem is unknown prior to delivery, it will take time for the doctors to figure out the problem, instead of having the time to anticipate prior to delivery. In some cases, this additional time is valuable. Most of the time these prenatal tests come back negative and it seems like a lot of worry for nothing. You are healthy so you have good odds of having a healthy baby. But nothing is 100%.

If aborting is not an option then don't do them. I have heard nothing but bad experiences surrounding these tests.

First of all -the results ARE iffy, so you're right there, but I'm always a little miffed at the women on here who act like the ONLY reason any of us get prenatal testing is so we'll know if we want an abortion. That's not true- what IS true is that if you are going to have a special needs child, you need to be prepared and often, the medical team needs to be prepared. There are some defects that could mean the difference in life, death, sickness or severity of the defect depending on how fast your newborn is treated after birth. I think it's smart to have prenatal testing and screening -if for no other reason that being prepared (both you and your doctor).

There are, sadly, some terrible genetic defects out there that mean that your baby will die in your 3rd trimester or very soon after birth. I know two people who had pregnancies where this was the case. Had you rather know now, when it's still going to hurt like hell and be traumatic, but at least there's not a nursery, shower gifts, etc. in place -or wait until it happens and then have to deal with all of the baby stuff you're surrounded with. I know that sounds horrible, and hopefully your baby is 100% perfect, but the Boy Scouts are onto something with their motto: "Be Prepared"!

Despite what some misinformed people on this board will tell you, the CVS (and you're too far along now) or an amnio are the only way you can be 100% sure of any defects or no defects related to genetic issues and others they can test for. They can tell a lot with ultrasound, but at least the pre-tests let you know if there's a HUGE reason to have an amnio or not much reason at all. The reason the statistics on amnios do not read 100% accurate, is once in a while, not enough fluid is collected for accurate testing. This makes up the .2 -.4 % In 2010, there is also only a .1% chance of miscarriage -and even that is iffy because many of the women who miscarry after an amnio would have anyway, but because they had an amnio, it goes into the statistics.

I was originally opposed to the test also but my doctor pointed out that if they know about a problem ahead of time they can have every resource available from the beginning and make the best choices for your baby.

I totally agree. You do NOT have to do these tests!!! These tests were never around when our grandmothers and mothers were pregnant and they did just fine without them. I have had many friends get bad results- bad news, falsely from these tests (although these tests are a bit more accurate than the AFP done by itself) and were devastated while pregnant- basically forced to do an amnio bc they were terrified and everything was fine!!! I totally refused to do any of this testing and it was the right decision for me- but it does seem unusual bc women don't realize they have the choice to say no. I knew with me, I would accept whatever came my way with the baby, but if I FALSELY got bad news, I would've fallen apart and had to make a very difficult decision to do an amnio- and I just wasn't comfortable with that. I figured if something was not "right" with my baby, they'd detect something on ultrasound or I'd find out soon enough- so may as well enjoy the pregnancy- which I did!!! Go with your gut and you know what's right for you it sounds like already! Congrtulations on your pregnancy!

We chose not to do any test that could be a false-positive. Even talking to our doctor, she said that the test check for certain genetic issues and you have the chance of a false-positive but you also have a high chance of them not catching a potential problem because they can't test for everything. She also said many things can be apparent on the 20 week ultrasound. We were the same as you, we would not abort even if there was a problem. No guarantees either way.

I applaud your decision to go ahead with a pregnancy regardless of the outcome and it really has to do with what you are comfortable with. Yes, there are false positives but they are on the rarer side. When they pick something up from these non invasive tests then they usually reccomend doing something more invasive like the amnio, which of coure you can turn down. What if you find out that your baby will die soon after birth or that he or she will have the mental capacity of a 2 month old? What about ultrasounds? Often problems are discovered in the ultrasounds...are you going to refuse to get one? It's your decision, just wanted to mention a few things to think about since regrets during pregnancy can stay with you for a long time.

If aborting the pregnancy is not an option than I would not do it. Toward the end of the pregnacy they will do some type of high tech Ultra Sound which is better than the other Ultra Sound and that will show everything and cause no adverse effects. I felt the same way, was the same age and everything came out fine. I didn't want to cause uneccessary stress etc either and was prepared to handle whatever. I ended up being induced because the umbillical cord was possible interrupting breathing and they noticed it on that super ultrasound. Do what feels right for you but as a 36 year old mom, that felt right to me. God Bless, and Congrats.

I am 37 and currently pregnant with my 2nd child. I turned all that testing down as well. Other than my age, there are no other high risk factors/genetic factors that I am aware of in our family (and I don't really consider the age that big of a deal... I'm healthy). My first pregnancy was fine, nothing out of the ordinary and the added stress of these test just didn't seem worth it! And like you said, it wouldn't change your mind anyway. I just got the results back from the 20 week ultrasound, and everything looks good... I'm going with that. Enjoy your pregnancy and congratulations :-)

i agree with you. have a great pregnancy and birth!

I struggled with this as well. If abortion is something you would not choose, I would absolutely not do these tests. I have family in the medical field and they all agree there is a very high incidence of false positives on these tests. Why put yourself through it at all? I also just recently had a friend who was told through her whole pregnancy that her baby had spinal befida and they strongly urged her to abort. She is very religious, and strong in her faith and would not consider it. Well her baby was born awhile back, and he is FINE. I know the medical world has come a long long way, but bottom line is they are still wrong ALOT. You do what YOU feel in your heart is right, and don't let anyone try to sway you otherwise. Congrats and best wishes for a healthy little baby!!

Go with your instincts - trust yourself, listen to yourself. Do what feels right to YOU.
Don't be pressured into tests if you don't want them -- you don' t need them. If there is some concern that your Dr. has been made aware of, discuss it and go from there. Your age alone is not enough of a reason for invasive testing. I didn't do anything but ultrasounds, and had a (big!) healthy baby boy, vaginally, at 40.
Enjoy your pregnancy and don't worry!
You have another baby on the way, Mama!!
:o)

The best book I would recommend is Henci Goer's "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth." One of the respondees indicated that it is a .1 chance of miscarriage with amnio. It is my understanding that 1 in 6 amnio's have an issue that occurs. A needle is placed into the uterus with baby & can potentially poke him/her. The statistics of babies born to a healthy 36 year old mom are in your favor, especially with no family history of birth defects. I had daughters at age 35 & 37 & chose not to have the amnio or other genetic testing. I believe that the extra worry that could be created by negative feedback on these tests could affect a potentially already fragile fetus. If you would have to deal with a birth defect or other illness then you would have to deal with it, but knowing ahead of time will not create peace of mind or necessarily make it easier to cope. My aunt was told thirty years ago that she would have a downs syndrome child, but the child was fine.