Bad ultrasound results would you terminate or continue with pregnancy????

BTW...I have a child with Autism and other developmental delays..and I would not have terminated the pregnancy had I known before hand. I would have missed out on so much! She is a beautiful amazing child!

I am an Ultrasound Technologist and would like to respond to this comment. While it is true that only genetic testing like an amniocentesis or CVS (chorionic villi sample) can confirm or rule out Down Syndrome with 100% accuracy, some of your other comments are wrong. In the U.S. ultrasound is used to screen for anatomic abnoralities, date a pregnancy, assess the placenta,cervix and amniotic fluid. It assesses growth of the fetus, estimates fetal weight, and when needed measures vascular flow within the umbilical cord, middle cerebral artery, ductus venosus and sometimes the uterine artery. Traditionally, the anatomic survey is performed in the second trimester; ideally at 18-20 gestational weeks. This is also the best time to determine gender, if the patient is interested. (Usually, but not always, there is no medical reason to determine gender, and deterimining gender is not the REASON your doctor ordered the test). Many of the anatomic defects we find are discrete, and not major as you indicated. Most people have no clue what an ultrasound technologist looks for during an ultrasound exam. It is a shame....or maybe not... people are nervous during the exam. You suggested an ultrasound at 3 months would not reveal Down Syndrome. A new genetic screening is currently being performed via a First Trimester Ultrasound, in conjunction with blood work and maternal data. It has a higher accuracy rate (around 94%, I think) than the traditional second trimester ultrasound (40-60%) for detecting Down Syndrome. It also has a lower False Positive rate than the Multiple Marker Screen (blood test--sometimes called the Triple Screen or Quad Screed) for detecting Down Syndrome. (However, the MMS also screens for other genetic defects like Trisomy 13 and 18 and also Open Neural Tube Defects;like spina bifida and gastroschesis) You also said the baby would have to be further along to determine if a limb was missing. Limbs can easily be seen at 10 weeks and beyond, though we do not traditionally measure any limb until 15 weeks any beyond. You were partially correct when you said a brain defect would have to be severe to be seen with ultrasound. In the first triester the defect would, indeed, have to be severe. But much small defects can be found during the second trimester and beyond. However, ultrasound can only pick up anatomic defects of the brain, and oftentimes mental retardation is not an anatomic defect of the brain, as is the case with Down Syndrome. Additionally, ultrasound is sometimes used to assess fetal well being with a Biophysical Profile test in which movement, tone, amniotic fluid, and fetal breathing is documented.

excuse me i a just typing this to get it to show on my list of questions ive responded to. For some reason it isn't there.

Hopefully you will never be in that situation. But until you are... you cannot know for sure what you would do. Believe me, I see it on a regular basis in my line of work. It is painful for the patient. It is heartbreaking. Tell me, would you abort and ectopic pregnancy, or would you let it kill you? A life is a life, right?

I agree with you both some what at fisrt i declined the test because i figured withier way i am keeping my baby. But then i thought today right before i went in what if the results arent good what am i gonna do? Is it fair to the baby when i know far in advance that he/she will have a hard life to say just because i wouldn't feel differently to keep it what about the baby is it fair to him or her. But then i said you know what if my mom had found out i would be handicaped and decided not to have me????????????