Most people around this time in their pregnancies undergo blood draws and scans for the first of several genetic screening tests.
This includes that 12 week NT scan that everyone always posts about.
I'm not doing one guys.
I am opting out of ALL genetic screening.
My reasoning is simple.
1) Neither the hubs nor I have any genetic anomalies in our families that would cause us any concern and give us reason to suspect a possible chromosomal issue.
2) While the tests are fairly accurate in their negative screening, they go awry when you get a positive on a test. There is an absurdly high rate of false positives WITHIN the positives. 90% of the positive tests turn out to be negative, so if you're one of the unlucky few who tested positive there is a VERY high probability that your baby is fine, but how much stress would that cause??? I believe the point of doing tests is so that you have information that you can DO something with, I don't believe we would terminate a pregnancy and thus having this information is useless and unnecessary to us but would cause huge amounts of stress.
I actually have a friend who JUST had this happen, she had her 12 week scan and bloodwork and added with her age suddenly put her at a 1 in 50 chance of a Down's baby instead of the 1 in 250 she was at before her tests. THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO WITH THIS INFORMATION. She has to wait until the next scan at 20 weeks before they can tell her anything more. There is a HUGE huge probability, like 95% chance that when she gets to her 20 week scan whatever they saw on that 12 week scan that caused them concern will be gone, but now she has 2 months of stressing about it in front of her. I don't want to have to do this, this pregnancy stresses me out enough as is.
I also don't want to be put in a position in which I have to make decisions such as do we want to do an amnio to further confirm and I NEVER want to be put in a position in which I have to decide if I want to terminate a pregnancy. I will let nature take it's course and if I am one of the unlucky few with a chromosomally abnormal baby than I will deal with that when the time comes.
This is not to say that I don't believe in genetic screening, there are many instances in which I would find it to be an absolute necessity. If we had family members with Down's or cleft palates or even if we both were of Jewish heritage I would make them test us for Tay-Sachs, things like that. But as it stands, I see no reason to undergo extra testing.
Generally I'm happy with this decision because it means fewer blood tests and fewer things to worry about, the ONLY part about it that makes me unhappy with my decision is that there is no NT scan!
That means no 12 week scan, I have to wait all the way to 18 weeks for the anatomy scan!
I feel like I'm in the minority here and I want to know what made you ladies decide to do genetic screening, family history? because it was offered? genuine concerns? peace of mind?
Or are there a bunch of you who also declined that I just don't know about and if you did decline, why?
