# Nuchal translucency increased but overall risk very good. Still very anxious.



## mon bebe (Nov 14, 2009)

Hello

I am 13 weeks pregnant after having had donor egg IVF/ICSI in Spain.  I am 42 years old and the donor is 30.  I am expecting twins and had a good overall result for my NT scan.  Baby one - 1:5000 and baby two: 1:12000.  However, the nuchal thickness is increased in both babies - baby one 3.2 and baby two 2.8.  The clinic (in Harley Street) did a scan as well as blood tests.  All the markers (nasal bond, bloods, blood flow in the heart, stomach) are all good but the nuchal thickness is not good.  They do not really advise CVS or amnio and we have decided against this for the moment.  I understand that the NT scan gives a risk for downs only but they have told me that increased nuchal thickness is associated with chromosomal abnormalities (including downs) and other abnormalities, including heart defects.  And that heart defects can signal further abnormalities.  

We are going back for a scan at almost 16 weeks.  They have offered me a fetal cardiac scan for the baby with the 3.2 reading but they will discuss this with me at the 16 week scan.  I'm really confused because they have given me a risk factor for downs but I they have not given me a risk factor for "other chromosomal abnormalities/heart defects".  So without any idea of the risk ratio I don't feel as if I can make a decision on whether to have an amnio or not.  They have told me that in the majority of cases a baby with increased nuchal thickness turns out to be OK but I don't know what they mean by "the majority".

They also said that at the 16 week scan maybe the nuchal thickness will have rectified itself - but I thought you couldn't see this at 16 weeks and that's why you have to have the NT scan at 11-13 weeks.

If you can give me any advice at all I'd be really grateful.  One one hand the NT scan results are good but bad at the same time.  So I'm confused and extremely anxious, especially as had a medical termination at 23 weeks with our last baby.  The NT results were good (although the nasal bone was not visible).  They discovered multiple abnormalities at 20 weeks but it was not chromosomal.  They believe my husband and I have the same faulty gene.  We went for donor egg treatment to avoid this happening again.


----------



## emilycaitlin (Mar 7, 2006)

Hi,

it's a good sign that none of the other markers there, so keep focusing on that. I too thought that nuchal transluency was only possible to be done at 11-13 weeks, so I can't really help you with that I'm afraid. I have somewhat limited knowledge of this but you will be able to find more information and advice on www.arc-uk.org (this is a website that is not supported by fertility friends)

please let me know how you get on, sorry I can't help more, 

Emilycaitlin xx


----------

