Nuchal (NT) scan

Suze · Nov 26th, 2008, 18:10 PM

I'm confused......not that difficult with this pregnancy brain but never mind!

I have just received my appointment for my 12 week dating scan. I know that after that we'll get the anomaly scan at 20 weeks but what I'm wondering is where/when the nuchal scan fits in?
Do they do this (if you choose) at the 12 week scan or is it an additional scan?
I seemed to remember at my booking appointment the midwife talking about something at 16 weeks but is this not too late for the NT scan?

Any help would be great

Suze x

sam040509 · Nov 27th, 2008, 03:57 AM

The nuchal scan is normally done routinely at your 12 week scan. That's the main purpose for the scan, and to date the pregnancy of course. The only thing i can think of that is done around 16 weeks are the blood tests to check the AFP level in your blood to detect Downs Syndrome/Spina Bifida etc... but i think they are optional.

Cariad_bach · Nov 27th, 2008, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam040509

The nuchal scan is normally done routinely at your 12 week scan. That's the main purpose for the scan, and to date the pregnancy of course. The only thing i can think of that is done around 16 weeks are the blood tests to check the AFP level in your blood to detect Downs Syndrome/Spina Bifida etc... but i think they are optional.

Thats what i was going to say

dizzy duck · Nov 27th, 2008, 08:58 AM

I think it differs area to area. We were told not many NHS hospitals are offering Nuchal scans, though since being on here Im not so sure. We are lucky ours does and that is done at 12 weeks with the blood tests done before hand. Why don't you give them a call and discuss it as like the other lovely ladies said it could be done at 16 weeks. I hope you can get this solved soon. Take care

Kitten · Nov 27th, 2008, 11:42 AM

Yeah the nuchal scan is your 12 week dating scan as far as I'm aware. They called it a nuchal scan in my letter anyway.

Loo · Nov 27th, 2008, 18:55 PM

it depends on where you live. We don't get nuchal scans in my area - you have to go private (£100 ish) to get one. You get the 12 week scan and then bloods at 15 weeks and another scan at 20. If you want the nuchal scan you pay for it and have it around around 11-13 weeks and have the blood tests that go with the nuchal scan instead of the ones at 15 weeks.

but looks like elsewhere nuchal scan is standard - so hope it is for you!

(PS Sorry i am not pregnant, just came on to pregnant forum to get a bit of positivity!!)

babybooties · Nov 28th, 2008, 06:22 AM

i got one at 14 weeks to detect to see if my baby was healthy i was told i didnt need a 12 weeks scan if i was to have the nuchal i went with the nuchal because it does tell u early on if your child as anything the matter like downs or any heart defects

il will have another one with this baby

Lyns · Nov 28th, 2008, 06:32 AM

The nuchal fold transculency scan is not standard in every area......there are sadly lots of pregnant mum's who do not get the chance of this test on the NHS and have to pay priviately, so treat it as a bonus if you are getting it. If it is done, it needs to be done between 11 and 14 weeks. If you are not offered Nuchal transclency scan on the NHS, you will then be offered a 'triple' test which is a blood test, done at 16 weeks.

It's important to note, these tests don't tell you definitively if there is a problem. They tell you your risk of a problem, and then allow you to make the decision as to whether to go for testing which will then determine the problem, such as Amnioscentesis.

I've cut and pasted below a post I did in another thread....that should give you some idea on whether or not Nuchal Fold is soemthign you do want, if offered, or need to decide to go privately....

Nuchal Fold Transclucency (NT) and Amnio are two different tests to be used for similar but also very different reasons. NT gives you your adjusted risk on top of you age risk. My age risk of Trisomy is about 1 in 86. NT will take that risk and with the measurement at the nuchal fold and tell me the combined risk once we know the two facts. It won't tell me whether or not there is a problem, just the potential risk of a problem.

Amnio does tell you the actual existence or not of a problem but carries a potential risk of miscarriage. About 1% of all pregnancies that go through Amnio miscarry. And sadly that is often a healthy baby. Now the big question of course is does that pregnancy miscarry anyway....no one will ever know.

Here's what we have decided to do. We are having NT. If that then tells us our risk is high, then we will consider Amnio or CVS (a different way of testing for Downs). Its not going to be an option if they tell us our risk is low.

With my daughter my risk by maternal age was 1 in 250. My adjusted risk after NT was nearly 1 in 900. We then didn't feel that was a high enough risk of trisomy to warrant a 1% chance of miscarriage.

There is another test, available through bloodwork at 16+weeks. But it takes 2 weeks to get the results (on the NHS) and I just know I couldn't be as objective in my thinking about an 18 week pregnancy as I could about an 11 week pregnancy.

The other thing you need to ask yourself, is what would you do if you were told you were carying a child with Downs? Because if the answer is you wouldn't do anything, then why put yourself through the risk of testing? If however (and there is no shame in this) you don't feel you could cope, then that is a whole different path ahead of you.

Isn't it awful how the most precious weeks of our lives are dogged by questions such as these. In some ways I do think we were better of when we didn't have the option of testing, but now its here, we can't in all faith avoid it, and feel we did the best we could for our childrens health.

Suze · Nov 30th, 2008, 07:39 AM

Thanks everyone. Seeing as there are regional variations I decided to call my ante-natal clinic to find out. They don't offer the NT scan but the 16 week blood work instead. I was told that the accuracy of results are comparable (?). I was also told that ifI did want the NT then I would have to pay or re-book at another local hospital.

I think we are just going to go ahead with the bloods as we are in 2 minds anyway whether to have it, so having it done earlier (ie the scan) wouldn't make any difference to our personal path thereon.

Nov 26th, 2008, 18:10 PM	#1
Suze Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Posts: 8,969	Nuchal (NT) scan I'm confused......not that difficult with this pregnancy brain but never mind! I have just received my appointment for my 12 week dating scan. I know that after that we'll get the anomaly scan at 20 weeks but what I'm wondering is where/when the nuchal scan fits in? Do they do this (if you choose) at the 12 week scan or is it an additional scan? I seemed to remember at my booking appointment the midwife talking about something at 16 weeks but is this not too late for the NT scan? Any help would be great Suze x

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Nov 27th, 2008, 03:57 AM	#2
sam040509 Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: West Sussex Posts: 191	The nuchal scan is normally done routinely at your 12 week scan. That's the main purpose for the scan, and to date the pregnancy of course. The only thing i can think of that is done around 16 weeks are the blood tests to check the AFP level in your blood to detect Downs Syndrome/Spina Bifida etc... but i think they are optional.

Status: Offline

Nov 27th, 2008, 08:58 AM	#4
dizzy duck Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 5,199	I think it differs area to area. We were told not many NHS hospitals are offering Nuchal scans, though since being on here Im not so sure. We are lucky ours does and that is done at 12 weeks with the blood tests done before hand. Why don't you give them a call and discuss it as like the other lovely ladies said it could be done at 16 weeks. I hope you can get this solved soon. Take care

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Nov 27th, 2008, 11:42 AM	#5
Kitten Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Crawley, England Posts: 6,343	Yeah the nuchal scan is your 12 week dating scan as far as I'm aware. They called it a nuchal scan in my letter anyway.

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Nov 27th, 2008, 18:55 PM	#6
Loo Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: UK Posts: 736	it depends on where you live. We don't get nuchal scans in my area - you have to go private (£100 ish) to get one. You get the 12 week scan and then bloods at 15 weeks and another scan at 20. If you want the nuchal scan you pay for it and have it around around 11-13 weeks and have the blood tests that go with the nuchal scan instead of the ones at 15 weeks. but looks like elsewhere nuchal scan is standard - so hope it is for you! (PS Sorry i am not pregnant, just came on to pregnant forum to get a bit of positivity!!)

Status: Offline

Nov 28th, 2008, 06:22 AM	#7
babybooties Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 188	i got one at 14 weeks to detect to see if my baby was healthy i was told i didnt need a 12 weeks scan if i was to have the nuchal i went with the nuchal because it does tell u early on if your child as anything the matter like downs or any heart defects il will have another one with this baby

Status: Offline

Nov 28th, 2008, 06:32 AM	#8
Lyns Trying to conceive (TTC) BnB Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: North Wales Posts: 5,500	The nuchal fold transculency scan is not standard in every area......there are sadly lots of pregnant mum's who do not get the chance of this test on the NHS and have to pay priviately, so treat it as a bonus if you are getting it. If it is done, it needs to be done between 11 and 14 weeks. If you are not offered Nuchal transclency scan on the NHS, you will then be offered a 'triple' test which is a blood test, done at 16 weeks. It's important to note, these tests don't tell you definitively if there is a problem. They tell you your risk of a problem, and then allow you to make the decision as to whether to go for testing which will then determine the problem, such as Amnioscentesis. I've cut and pasted below a post I did in another thread....that should give you some idea on whether or not Nuchal Fold is soemthign you do want, if offered, or need to decide to go privately.... Nuchal Fold Transclucency (NT) and Amnio are two different tests to be used for similar but also very different reasons. NT gives you your adjusted risk on top of you age risk. My age risk of Trisomy is about 1 in 86. NT will take that risk and with the measurement at the nuchal fold and tell me the combined risk once we know the two facts. It won't tell me whether or not there is a problem, just the potential risk of a problem. Amnio does tell you the actual existence or not of a problem but carries a potential risk of miscarriage. About 1% of all pregnancies that go through Amnio miscarry. And sadly that is often a healthy baby. Now the big question of course is does that pregnancy miscarry anyway....no one will ever know. Here's what we have decided to do. We are having NT. If that then tells us our risk is high, then we will consider Amnio or CVS (a different way of testing for Downs). Its not going to be an option if they tell us our risk is low. With my daughter my risk by maternal age was 1 in 250. My adjusted risk after NT was nearly 1 in 900. We then didn't feel that was a high enough risk of trisomy to warrant a 1% chance of miscarriage. There is another test, available through bloodwork at 16+weeks. But it takes 2 weeks to get the results (on the NHS) and I just know I couldn't be as objective in my thinking about an 18 week pregnancy as I could about an 11 week pregnancy. The other thing you need to ask yourself, is what would you do if you were told you were carying a child with Downs? Because if the answer is you wouldn't do anything, then why put yourself through the risk of testing? If however (and there is no shame in this) you don't feel you could cope, then that is a whole different path ahead of you. Isn't it awful how the most precious weeks of our lives are dogged by questions such as these. In some ways I do think we were better of when we didn't have the option of testing, but now its here, we can't in all faith avoid it, and feel we did the best we could for our childrens health.

Status: Offline

Nov 30th, 2008, 07:39 AM	#9
Suze Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Posts: 8,969	Thanks everyone. Seeing as there are regional variations I decided to call my ante-natal clinic to find out. They don't offer the NT scan but the 16 week blood work instead. I was told that the accuracy of results are comparable (?). I was also told that ifI did want the NT then I would have to pay or re-book at another local hospital. I think we are just going to go ahead with the bloods as we are in 2 minds anyway whether to have it, so having it done earlier (ie the scan) wouldn't make any difference to our personal path thereon.

Status: Offline

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