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Anyone familiar with the CVS test?
I was wondering if anyone has, or know anyone that has, had the CVS test done? Are the results reliable, or is it better to just wait for the Amnio? We opted not to do any other testing after hearing about all the false positives thru this forum. Our Dr said we should do the CVS, but if it isn't very accurate i don't want to put any of us thru it.
There are a lot of factors that can also contribute to disabilities that could have been at work besides genetics. I know my aunt had a vaccine during her pregnancy and it led to this issue. There are also environmental factors that contribute to this as well and the pregnancy.
I have worked with developmental children that were actually abandoned by their parents and I am always very grateful for having that experience. There are always a lot of what-ifs when you are pregnant and even me only being 36, they told me I am now "high-risk" because of my age. I think overall it depends on your own health. I can definitely understand your concern though with having a close family experience.
We respect your decisions either way. Keep us posted. Your experience helps others.
I have worked with developmental children that were actually abandoned by their parents and I am always very grateful for having that experience. There are always a lot of what-ifs when you are pregnant and even me only being 36, they told me I am now "high-risk" because of my age. I think overall it depends on your own health. I can definitely understand your concern though with having a close family experience.
We respect your decisions either way. Keep us posted. Your experience helps others.
I'm glad you have reached a decision that is right for you. I do have a couple of tips for you if I may.
I dislike it when Dr.'s tell you you are high risk due to age. Yes, it's true that the risk of a chromosomnal abnormality is higher, but in no way shape or form is it a given. There are so many of us having babies in our late 30s and 40s and the vast majority are just fine. Try really hard not to expect trouble when there probably isn't any. I agree with discussing this with your DH ahead of time as it's important, but at the same time it is still unlikely there will be any problems at all.
Another important point is that amnio and cvs don't test for everything. Typically it's trisonomies 13, 18 and 21. They are 99% accurate with these issues, but there is just no way to know about everything. Anytime we choose to become pregnant, we are rolling the dice a little bit. All we can do is the best we can and look for as much as we can, but we also have to accept that sometimes what will be will be, and things always seem to work out just fine.
There is no real such thing as mental retardation. There are a host of issues that used to be lumped under one catagory including things like DS, austism, etc. In actual fact all of these issues are a little bit different and are treated differently. Due to early intervention and progress in the medical community, most kids do lead normal happy lives. I am not saying that to try to change your mind...I am 100% pro choice and respect and will support you in any decision you make. I just can tell you are really scared. I was too, then I talked to people who had children with various challenges and did a whole lot of research myself. I don't hope to have a child with any of these challenges, but it's not so scary anymore either. Knowledge is power.
Anyway, like I said, your decision is your decision and I respect that. Just wanted to share with you a little of what I have learned. Try not to worry about things that haven't happened yet and probably won't happen. You are not that high of risk, honestly your not. It is far more likely your child will be born typical and healthy.
I dislike it when Dr.'s tell you you are high risk due to age. Yes, it's true that the risk of a chromosomnal abnormality is higher, but in no way shape or form is it a given. There are so many of us having babies in our late 30s and 40s and the vast majority are just fine. Try really hard not to expect trouble when there probably isn't any. I agree with discussing this with your DH ahead of time as it's important, but at the same time it is still unlikely there will be any problems at all.
Another important point is that amnio and cvs don't test for everything. Typically it's trisonomies 13, 18 and 21. They are 99% accurate with these issues, but there is just no way to know about everything. Anytime we choose to become pregnant, we are rolling the dice a little bit. All we can do is the best we can and look for as much as we can, but we also have to accept that sometimes what will be will be, and things always seem to work out just fine.
There is no real such thing as mental retardation. There are a host of issues that used to be lumped under one catagory including things like DS, austism, etc. In actual fact all of these issues are a little bit different and are treated differently. Due to early intervention and progress in the medical community, most kids do lead normal happy lives. I am not saying that to try to change your mind...I am 100% pro choice and respect and will support you in any decision you make. I just can tell you are really scared. I was too, then I talked to people who had children with various challenges and did a whole lot of research myself. I don't hope to have a child with any of these challenges, but it's not so scary anymore either. Knowledge is power.
Anyway, like I said, your decision is your decision and I respect that. Just wanted to share with you a little of what I have learned. Try not to worry about things that haven't happened yet and probably won't happen. You are not that high of risk, honestly your not. It is far more likely your child will be born typical and healthy.
Thank you all for your responses. You've been a big help. They did tell me that i'm at high risk. Not only because of our ages, but my grandmother's last child, that she had when she was older, was born mentally handicapped. Life has been so hard for him, esp.after my grandmother died. My mother was the only person who volunteered to take him. I helped take care of him, too. Then later down the road, one of my aunts took him away from her because of her medical issues, and placed him in a home that has two or three others like him. He likes it there, but he's too far away now to see him as often as we wld like. That being said, my husband and I have discussed abortion if something was wrong. My mom is, of coarse, not happy w/our decision. I pray that everything is ok and leave it in God's hands. I hope that God will lead us to the right decision if one is to be made. I think no matter if we had to do it at 13wks or 20wks, it will still be very hard. So, i think we will wait for the amnio. I think DS and mental retardation are diff. There has been some that have said their DS child has led a normal life, where my uncle did not. My prayers are with you all..thank you so much.
Great points and experience that everyone is sharing indeed. Glad to come back and read this. Definitely a personal choice indeed.
Christine brings up a couple of really good points that I want to confirm. Amnio does in fact come with a lower risk then CVS. Also, when I opted for amnio they were able to also test for nural tube defects, something that I also do not believe can be done with CVS.
The downside is that amnio can not be performed until I believe 16 weeks. I had mine somewhere around that time. I know for certain it was before 20 weeks, but not earlier then 16. CVS can be performed around 13 weeks. If you are considering termination, earlier is preferable to later.
I am curious where the concern is for you right now. I am looking for your post on first trimester screen results, but can't remember if you have had that yet? If this were me (and again, it's personal, so no judgement here), I would wait until your risk factor was determined. I am the biggest worrier in the world, but had my odds not been what they were (1:13), I don't think I would have opted for the amnio. Also, first trimester screen can look for soft markers such as lack of presence of nasal bone, short femur and thicker then average nuchal fold. Anyhew, just a thought. Good luck to you!
The downside is that amnio can not be performed until I believe 16 weeks. I had mine somewhere around that time. I know for certain it was before 20 weeks, but not earlier then 16. CVS can be performed around 13 weeks. If you are considering termination, earlier is preferable to later.
I am curious where the concern is for you right now. I am looking for your post on first trimester screen results, but can't remember if you have had that yet? If this were me (and again, it's personal, so no judgement here), I would wait until your risk factor was determined. I am the biggest worrier in the world, but had my odds not been what they were (1:13), I don't think I would have opted for the amnio. Also, first trimester screen can look for soft markers such as lack of presence of nasal bone, short femur and thicker then average nuchal fold. Anyhew, just a thought. Good luck to you!
Whether to wait for the amnio or do cvs kind of depends on why you are doing the test. If you are going to stress out about what could be wrong with your baby until you know for sure...or if you and your husband would consider terminating this pregnancy if something was wrong...then cvs would be the way to go.
Keep in mind that cvs does not detect open neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Also, the stats I have read suggest that amnio has a lower risk of complications.
Which test to have (if any) is a very personal decision. Your doctor cannot make the decision for you. Be sure that you are comfortable with the test and that all your questions have been answered.
Also...it is okay to have no testing...if you don't feel the need to know, you can decline (I was offered amniocentesis but knew in advance I would decline. I don't need to know as it wouldn't change a thing for us).
Keep in mind that cvs does not detect open neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Also, the stats I have read suggest that amnio has a lower risk of complications.
Which test to have (if any) is a very personal decision. Your doctor cannot make the decision for you. Be sure that you are comfortable with the test and that all your questions have been answered.
Also...it is okay to have no testing...if you don't feel the need to know, you can decline (I was offered amniocentesis but knew in advance I would decline. I don't need to know as it wouldn't change a thing for us).
I didn't have cvs, but did have amnio and can tell you I would do it again in a heartbeat. No question, it was the right decision for me.
With any sort of invasive test like this there is always a chance for complications. It is not very common, but you do need to know that the possibility exists. The stats given are not necessarily accurate anymore though. For example, the odds I was given for complications were 1:400. When I talked to (well, interviewed actually) the perinatologist who was going to perform my test, his odds were more like 1:1600. I made sure it was done by a very experienced Dr. and a very experienced clinic.
Do what you feel is right for you. For me it was the right choice, and I was then able to relax a bit. I needed to know for certain. CVS and amnio are 99% accurate.
Good luck on whatever you decide.
With any sort of invasive test like this there is always a chance for complications. It is not very common, but you do need to know that the possibility exists. The stats given are not necessarily accurate anymore though. For example, the odds I was given for complications were 1:400. When I talked to (well, interviewed actually) the perinatologist who was going to perform my test, his odds were more like 1:1600. I made sure it was done by a very experienced Dr. and a very experienced clinic.
Do what you feel is right for you. For me it was the right choice, and I was then able to relax a bit. I needed to know for certain. CVS and amnio are 99% accurate.
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Send me a PM .. glad to give some feedback if you'd like.
I was told the stats weren't totally accurate because the tests were done by inexperienced people. But, that was a long time ago, and I don't know if anything has changed since then.
C~
I was told the stats weren't totally accurate because the tests were done by inexperienced people. But, that was a long time ago, and I don't know if anything has changed since then.
C~
Hello, I hope your pregnancy is going well! I am 35 and was suggested to have CVS when I was only 16 weeks. That was due to the NT measurment. The Dr said that both of my babies may have down syndrome etc. I am pregnant with twins and needed to know what was going on. Amnio was not an option in such early pregnancy. Went for the test the next day. It is no different than getting a pap smear test when it comes to pain. There's risk involved as with Amnio, but the Dr assured us that the risk is low. It is 100% accurate. It allows Dr to analyze the genes and determine if there are any abnormalities. Usually it is not suggested unless there are concerning signs. During the test the Dr takes piece of the placenta. There was very little bleeding. The only negative thing that I experienced was the fear and also the yeast infection. I think because they sterlized me inside quite a bit my PH balance was thrown off. If I had to do that again I would without any second thoughts. For me it was better to know what was going on with the babies. You also find out the gender of the baby <3 I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to ask me any questions. Wishing you a healthy and happy pregnancy!
Honestly I don't personally take this test because it is a screening for genetics. Are you at high risk? Do you have a history of genetic issues in your family that would prompt you to need this? I don't even take the Amnio test, my insurance would cover it and I am at the age of 36 now where they usually advise to do this, but I am not at high risk and have had two pregnancies that went full term without complications.
As soon as you are over 35, they want to test everything it seems. And by all means this is a personal discretion that you have to decide. But for us, no matter what is going on in the inside, we will accept the baby as it is. Even in terms of genetics, there is nothing that they can do to prevent the issue or treat it in utero, so why do I want the added worry during our pregnancy.
I'm glad you are doing research... this alone is very empowering as a parent.
As soon as you are over 35, they want to test everything it seems. And by all means this is a personal discretion that you have to decide. But for us, no matter what is going on in the inside, we will accept the baby as it is. Even in terms of genetics, there is nothing that they can do to prevent the issue or treat it in utero, so why do I want the added worry during our pregnancy.
I'm glad you are doing research... this alone is very empowering as a parent.
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