Nuchal Translucency Test

The Nuchal Translucency Screening can be both confusing and scary to a mom-to-be? The Nuchal Transluscency Screening, or NT, is a pre-natal ultrasound scan which assesses your baby�s risk of being born with certain illnesses, including chromosomal abnormalities like Down Syndrome and certain heart problems. If you choose to have an NT test, it will be performed during weeks 11 to 13 of your pregnancy. Here�s how an NT works: An ultrasound technician will start by determining your baby�s gestational age by measuring him from crown to rump. Then, she�ll measure the thickness of the fluid under the skin at the back of your baby�s neck, the area known as the nuchal fold. When a baby has greater amounts of fluid built up in the nuchal fold, the clear space on the sonogram behind the neck is larger than average. Babies who have chromosomal abnormalities generally exhibit this build up of fluid, but not every baby who exhibits a buildup of fluid behind their neck will have an illness. A complete assessment needs to take into account several additional factors. In addition to the Nuchal ultrasound, most women will provide a blood sample for screening. The results of these tests, plus the baby�s gestational age and the mother�s age, are all incorporated into the results. The mother�s age is a factor because women who are older than 30 are significantly more likely to deliver a baby with Down Syndrome. Once you have the results, you will need your doctor to help you interpret them. Remember: The Nuchal Translucency Screening does not definitively say if there is a problem with your baby. Instead, an NT test shows you�with about 70 to 80 percent accuracy� how likely it is that the baby has a genetic abnormality. If it looks like your baby may have a problem, your doctor might recommend that you undergo amniocentesis, which requires taking a sample of your amniotic fluid. But because amniocentesis comes with a 1 in 200 chance of miscarriage, many women choose not to undergo this step. A Nuchal Translucency Screening can provide critical information about your baby�s health.� Ultimately though, how you use that information, and whether you want the test at all, is a personal decision.