Nuchal testing with twins

[bjandthomsmum]

At 12 weeks we had our normal scan, which also included the nuchal translucency scan. This time however, it also included a blood test. At the scan we were very shocked to discover we are having twins. :bfp: The scan was good with the nuchal testing (the nasal bone was fine and the thickness were both good measurements). However a week later we visited the doctor to be told that the bloods came back saying that there was a high chance either one or both babies could have down syndrome. Now, after much reading, crying, questioning, I've since found out that the blood part of the nuchal testing isn't accurate with twins so some people don't even bother doing the bloods as the twins (especially being in the one placenta), give out false positives results. They base it solely around the scan. (which was fine). Has this happened to anyone else? I"m now 15 weeks along.:confused:

[FiveInTheBed]

We were advised not to worry about the blood test! ..after getting my midwife to ring the lab and ask - yeh the results are most of the time out of whack!!

We found out we were having twins @6weeks.

they didn't do a US at the normal time they check for nuchal fold...so I requested another US at around 15-17 weeks (from memory - sorry).
Our sonographer was 'miffed' that I was in there having another scan - was going to have the morphology at 20 weeks anyway!!(small town - really flat out radiologoy dept)...we 'had words' :o....but in the end my midwife stepped in a the scan was performed!!

...and all turned out okay.


Best of luck x

[bjandthomsmum]

Thanks for that! We had no idea I was having twins, unplanned pregnancy in the first place, and we were joking about it being twins because I was VERY big for the amount of weeks we thought I was. Love those midwives, it was the midwife who could see how upset I was that she went and found a sonographer who said that they don't bother with blood tests on twins. Glad to hear someone had the same thing said to them. I'm going to the fetal management unit next week so I've got my fingers crossed they'll do another scan. And also maybe they can see what they are??? (possibly wishful thinking).

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bjandthomsmum hello!

I can imagine how stressful it all is at the moment! I had my scan and my bloods taken but the bloods were never tested as my OB said bloods for twins is not accurate. We had a 1 in 1000 chance for one twin and 1 in 1200 chance for the other based solely on the scan.

All the very best :thumbsup:

[Sheer Bliss]

When the bloods were done....did those people know you were having twins? The OB that did my nuchal scan is a specialist in multiples, and after the scan was done and he entered those results into the computer to go with the bloods, his eyebrows creased and he immediately picked up the phone. It was the BT place and he said he needed them to redo the results as I was carrying twins. As soon as the adjusted results came back - they were very low risk. But it was entirely different before that - in lots of cases (from what I have read) it needs to be made clear that it's twins, otherwise the results are skewed incorrectly.

[bjandthomsmum]

Hey there, they must've known i was having twins as there were two separate results?? But from what i've been reading since then, and hearing, because they are in the same placenta, the bloods will most generally come back as false positives so most people don't even bother doing them, only going on the scan. i'm having a fetal management unit visit this week, so i'm hoping they will maybe do another scan to look more closely?? I don't want to be giving myself false hope, but I also don't want to be stressing myself out for no reason. :confused:

[pom04]

Hi - I have 3 year old twin girls - when I went for my transnuchal scan at 12 weeks I was told that the measurement of twin one indicated a one in 87 chance of downs - however the girl doing the scan became very flustered because she said she was not familiar with how issues could be impacted with twins - I was sent back to my gp as the doctor at the hospital - local hospital I would say -refused to discuss the measurements with my husband and I - I was referred to the brisbane Mater Fetal medicine unit who were fantastic - they rescanned the next day and advised that the measurement of twin one was back within the normal range - however they agreed to do a scan a third time after my pressing and yes the next day it was increased again - I chose on the advise of the consultant to have CVS on the spot - because my twins were identical I was advised that if one was downs then the other would be too - they tested from the placenta nearest twin 2 (with the normal measurement) on this basis - anyway after a 3 day wait I got the call to say that my twin girls did not have downs - my blood tests by the way were totally disregarded because I was carrying twins - all I would say is keep pressing for the answers you seek - it is a nervewracking time I understand - Sending u lots of love:)

[bjandthomsmum]

Thanks everyone for your kind wishes and responses. I've since been to the fetal management unit here in canberra, and the lovely doctor reassured me that according to the scan the babies are fine, and that the bloods aren't being looked at. We will be monitored and scanned every 2 weeks (not for downs, but for twin to twin transfusion as they are identical) so he said that by the time they are born, I will already know pretty much know what they look like. I feel much better and a lot less stressed. Nice to see them moving around and growing nicely. Thanks again everyone. xoxo

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Thats wonderful news!! Enjoy your pregnancy :yelclap: