# Downs 1st pregnancy at 41, chance to happen again?



## A Better Year (Jan 12, 2013)

Hi - I just joined this forum. Another forum I was active on does not allow discussions about termination, so I looked around and found this forum.

I'm 42 now and want to try again, but after years of TTC and not getting anywhere, finally did (I can explain my treatment if anyone asks). 

We are terrified about not having a healthy baby the second time around, and that assumes I get pregnant, which took 5 years of trying and I got pregnant only after giving up on IVF treatments.

I know there is no way to really know, but I wonder if the odds for Downs are the same or different the second time around.  I just need to talk with someone and I really hope I can do that here - if this is the wrong forum please let me know and I'll post in the right place.


----------



## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Hi A better Year, welcome to FF.

To be fair, while it's not "not allowed" so to speak, discussions about terminations does tend to upset most of our members who would give anything for any baby - healthy or otherwise so it's a bit of a hot potato on FF. 
Some of our members have found themselves faced with making the choice to terminate for medical reasons and I understand it's a terribly emotionally complex situation to find yourself in.  You will almost certainly find someone who has been in the same position on FF but people tend not to talk about it too much because they are concious that it's difficult for many to read.

I am not a medical professional but I understand that a previous history with Downs does increase your risks. Only someone who knows your own personal medical history could tell you for sure what the risk is so perhaps speak to your consultant about this for a more definite idea of what the risk actually is.

An option available to you to ensure your child as no genetic illnesses could be PDG - where the embryos are created as with IVF but tested to ensure they are normal and only healthy embryos are implanted. The practical upshot is that it might actually increase the chance of IVF working if you know you are only implanting good embryos, because you're taking some of the element of chance out if the equation. It does have its own risks though (you may end up with no healthy embryos to implant) so it's a case of weighing up the risks and benefits.

What might be helpful for you right now would be the Ante Natal Result and Choices website, which can advise you best: http://www.arc-uk.org/ The ARC have a forum as well and I would recommend that you join there for the best support.



C~x

/links


----------



## staceysm (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi,

I just wanted to say that baby centre has a section called TFMR (Termination for medical reasons).  And on this site there is a lady on my birth board who is now pregnant and terminated previously because of downs, so no one has the right to judge you.  I am sure your decision was very difficult and despite wanting a child myself, I wouldn't choose to have a disabled child either.

Anyway back to the point, my cousin who is 28 yrs old had a baby with Down syndrome.  She never knew he was going to have this condition and found out once he was born (She gave him up for adoption) and she now has a daughter who isn't downs.

I wish you all the best and I hope that every thing works out for you.

X


----------



## mfmcmoo (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi

Just wanted to add - there is a new test out now - called the "Harmony blood test", which is done at 10 weeks to test for downs and other things. It is a diagnostic test (i.e. very accurate). The Fetal medicine centre on Harley street are currently offering a "special" - you pay for the nuchal scan and get the harmony blood test free (£180 in total).
Else there are other clinics on Harley street which do the test for £750.
Regards


----------



## rs1984 (Dec 5, 2011)

Hi Better Year,

In my first pregnancy - 27years old through ICSI - my daughter had Downs. We terminated at 13 weeks. She had heart problems also. My husband and I have no regrets. She will always be our girl but we did not want to inflict that life on her.

As for your odds a second time. A number of factors are taken into account. Your age is one. The fact you've had a previous Downs pregancy will also be taken into account and will, I'm afraid, bring your odds down as hospitals want to give you a worse case scenario picture. Do you know whether either you or your husband are a translocation carrier? This can increase your odds. 

Our story was 50/50 chance of Downs after first NT with first baby - CVS confirmed Downs. tests on baby and us later revealed just bad luck - just one of those things.

We were then extremely lucky to get pregant naturally (another little girl). NT scan with combined bloods at 12 weeks gave this baby a 1 in 320 chance. This isn't great but was still deemed low risk and was good enough for us. In the majority of cases Downs is picked up by clear markers on the 12 wk scan (or 20 wks) and ours have been fine. The hospitals have still been pushing us for a cvs/amnio (covering their backs I think) because of course that's the only way to know for sure but I won't risk this baby. I would have had a cvs/amnio if the odds were less than 1 in 100 though - had a cvs before and it was fine and the miscarriage risk is quite low.

In the vast majority of cases, Downs is just one of those things and shouldn't happen again. Wishing you all the best. Good luck


----------



## mfmcmoo (Jul 16, 2010)

Me again
Just wanted to point out that the Harmony blood test I mentioned above is safe (unlike the amnio - which I agree with rs1984 that the risk is pretty high)- just like a regular blood test and is 99% accurate.


----------



## A Better Year (Jan 12, 2013)

Hi ladies,

Firstly thanks so much for your responses. Caz, staceysm, mfmcmoo, rs1984 - thank you. I feel a little less alone now.

Caz, thanks for the perspective on the subject, I knew it was going to be sensitive and I didn't want to upset anyone, this is upsetting enough as it is, and I've been suffering in silence too long. None of our friends know, my mother doesn't know, only DH's mother and my sister. To the rest we have said we lost the baby.

rs1984 - thank you very much for sharing your story, and we are not alone. You did CVS, the doctor who did our amnio said the next time we could try CVS as it can be done earlier (ours was at 18 weeks, too late), although there is more m/c risk with CVS than amnio.

mfmcmoo - thank you for the Harmony information, it looks similar to something a friend from the States mentioned, below:

_Sequenom MassArray used for a "noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal ...." approach. _

http://www.sequenom.com/files/pdf-documents/maternit21_launch_presentation

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/131724.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequenom

staceysm - thank you as well for sharing that, what I can tell you was that it was the worst, saddest day of our lives, and that it was the hardest decision either of us to make. But I can't really go back there, it's too painful and we are just looking forward.

So out of respect to those who would find this topic insensitive, for lack of a better word, I will only focus on the future, and to share information about testing.

In a separate thread I will mention the treatment I am getting, as it is, from what I understand anyway, uncommon.

Thanks again ladies, and best luck to all of us!

Alexis

/links


----------



## Jowo (Nov 22, 2012)

The HFEA site has good info about screening options

http://www.hfea.gov.uk/PGD.

/links


----------



## urbangirl (Jul 28, 2010)

A betteryear, I think you were just really unlucky.  Of course it's more common with the age thing but even with those odds you are still more likely to have a healthy child than not.  I know a couple of people this happened to, one was 42 and the other was 26, it's a devastating scenario to have to deal with.  I hope it won't completely colour your future treatment, I imagine because of your history you would be priority for testing as soon as you get pregnant.  Could you not ask for one further appointment with the consultant you dealt with to ask him this question and get some closure?


----------



## Newschmoo (Mar 10, 2012)

A betteryear- hello, I'm very sorry for your loss. I would second the suggestion of contacting the ARC - they are a non judgmental charity who gives advice in your situation . There is also a forum there. They should be able to give you a little more info on chances of it happening again. From my understanding, unless it resulted from translocation or mosaicism, then your chances of it happening again are only marginally more than for anyone else of the same age.


----------

