I didn't realise the 12 week scan was also for down syndrome screening? Is this a new thing? I only remember bloods for d/s with Charlie.
Just wondered if anyone opted out of the screening? I've got my scan booked for 13th jan

we opted out of bloods because we didn't want to know, at the 12 week scan they check for any abnormalities and they also check for a nasal bone and if there is fluid at the back of the neck both of which can be signs that things are not developing as they normally would - as far as i remember if there is a problem particularly with the formation of the nose it can be a sign of downs but im not sure if that has changed since its 2 years since our 12 week scan with elijah

I opted out too, it's a combined test now where they do measurements and what Mari said then you have your bloods after, and results are posted out to you, they will tell you how high risk you are and if you are are high risk you can go on to have the CVS test (I think that's what it's called) where they take a sample of fluid from the womb.

We decided against it as even if I were high risk I wouldn't have had the further screening as there's a small risk to baby, then i'd be worrying my whole pregnancy that something was wrong, plus we wouldn't terminate if our child was downs anyway xx

we opted out, wouldn't make a difference to us either way(we couldn't abort) so decided it wasn't worth doing the screening

It wasn't included in our 12 week scan with Ellie. Our area do not do nuchal fold scans on the nhs. We paid and it had done at the womans hospital in Liverpool, I think it cost about £150.

i opted out of bloods too , the sonographer did say that if anything abnormal showed with scan that she would reccomend we have them done

We opted out too was not bothered so didnt bother going for it

Char

I had them with all three of our pregnancies as they are the norm here to have them.

At the last one (with this baby), she told us that the nuchal scan also showed other signs, such as heart problems (although it didnt with Aimee) so, even though knowing something was wrong wouldnt have changed our decision, we still wanted to have it done.

x

I assume whether it is routine depends on local NHS policy. When I had Seb I was told that they only did the tests routinely for over 40s, but by the time I had Anna it was routine (at the Lister in Stevenage), but you could opt out - MW discussed this at the booking appt, that there was no point in having the tests if you wouldn't consider a termination. I think the sonographer asked me at the start of the scan. We opted for the tests & got a letter a week or so later telling me my risk factor (i.e. 1 in x, in my case 1 in 4600).

However they have to do a blood test after the scan and the courier takes the bloods from the Lister sometime around 4pmish so if you have a late afternoon scan you have to go back the following day (to queue) for the blood test. (Maybe this is a deliberate policy to make more money from the carpark....)

Good luck for the scan, whatever you decide about the tests.

When I had Imogen they just did nuchal fold but when I was 12wks with Joshua it had become routine to do the combined test. I did the test. I wouldn't have aborted or had further tests so guess I might as well have opted out but stupid as it sounds I didn't really think about the fact i could opt out.

We've opted out of all tests would only make me worry and wouldn't change anything for us