Pregnant and over 35: Should you take all prenatal tests?
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As a mother of two who is currently pregnant with Baby #3, I was recently faced with a dilemma regarding prenatal testing. This is because there is now a new type of prenatal testing being offered to pregnant women and is especially geared toward women who are of what the medical community likes to call “Advanced Maternal Age”. This test is called the nuchal fold translucency test, or nuchal fold scan, which tests mainly for the possibility of Down’s Syndrome in the fetus, along with other chromosomal abnormalities and congenital heart problems. This test has only been in use for the last few years and I did not have it offered to me with my other two pregnancies.
Now, people may wonder why in the world someone would not elect to take this test but after much research and deep thought, I went ahead and refused the test. What the test does is give you the odds that something may be wrong, say 1 out of 500 chances, that the fetus has Down’s Syndrome or another chromosomal problem. After you are given the odds, then you can go ahead and decide if you want to have further invasive testing, such as amniocentisis, performed to give you definitive answers.
At first, I did feel guilty about my decision but even if I did change my mind, it is now too late to take the test. This is because it can only be performed between Weeks 11 and 13 and I am now starting my 15th week. And even if something were found that raised red flags, would I even be able to think about terminating this pregnancy? Of course, we all want a healthy baby and uneventful pregnancy, but it seems like in most cases, all these prenatal tests do is cause unneeded stress and worry. Especially for those of us in the 35 and older age bracket. In the end though, each woman has to make up her own mind, do their own research and decide if optional prenatal tests and screenings are right for them. I still have 6 months to go, so I am sure that I will be faced with the opportunity for more tests very soon.
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