What Does High Risk Really Mean?

What does having a high risk pregnancy really mean? Well any number of medical conditions can put you into the high risk category such as being diabetic, having multiple fetus, and being over 35.

The other medical conditions are clear cut, but what does being over 35 really mean during pregnancy? Turns out the only difference is the chance of chromosome defects. As eggs grow older, there's more chance of the egg having a defect. Downs Syndrome is one of the most common chromosome birth defects and it has a direct link to the age of the mother. Here's the risk breakdown based on age.

So what's a woman to do if she's older than 35 and is pregnant? There's the clear-cut diagnostic tests like CV and amniocentesis. But both are invasive and carry risks of miscarriage. We personally decided to participate in the most definitive screening tests currently available, the Integrated Prenatal Screening Test. This involves taking a blood test in the first trimester, a high resolution nuchal translucency measurement, and another blood test in the second trimester. The two blood tests are to measure certain proteins in the mother. Babies with Downs Syndrome will cause certain protein levels to be elevated or depressed in the mother's blood. The high resolution ultrasound will measure the fluid accumulation in the back of the fetus' neck at between 11-14 weeks. Babies with Downs Syndrome will accumulate more fluid during those weeks than normal babies. The results of all three screening tests will be used to assess a baby's risk of having Downs Syndrome, along with a few other less common birth defects. The Integrated Prenatal Screening Test can be up to 95% accurate in detecting Downs Syndrome, when performed properly by highly trained doctors. But the test requires the mother to be diligent about going in for her blood tests and ultrasound at the right time during her pregnancy. But for a tremendous piece of mind, why wouldn't you take the screening tests? If your screening tests comes back showing high risk, then you will still be able to take the amniocentesis diagnostic test performed at 15-18 weeks.

We had our nuchal translucency ultrasound last week, as shown in the picture above. Thankfully, our baby measures in at ~1.4mm which translates to excellent! Any neck measurement below 2-3mm is extremely good at 14 weeks gestational age. This is in deed wonderful news. I still have one more blood test to take but we're well on our way to having a healthy baby. Now we can focus on the joys of expecting.