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Down Syndrome Testing

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I'm a bit concerned because my physician forgot to make me my appointment. to come in and do the testing for Down Syndrome (via a blood test, if I recall correctly) and now he says its past the time frame I can do so.

I am 26 weeks and did have my normal 20 week / second ultrasound done and they said everything looked good, no abnormalities, etc. However, I can't stop thinking that I should have had the blood test as well just to clear the air.

So I'm wondering is an ultrasound sufficient enough to test for Down Syndrome? Is there anything else I can do to test for it without posing major risks to me/baby?

Thanks in advance.

ANSWER

Unless you are over the age of 35, I wouldn't worry about it much because if there were any major anomalies, the ultrasound would have found them.

If the baby is basically healthy but has Down Syndrome, and you had known that, what difference would that have made to you? If it really would not have changed anything that you would have done, and you would have still carried the pregnancy, I'd say just love your baby and enjoy your pregnancy, and trust that you will have a baby you treasure, no matter what happens :-). Your baby doesn't need a mom worrying about things that are probably never going to happen.

-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.