What is the nuchal translucency scan?
Hospitals are meant to offer a nuchal translucency (NT) scan between 11 and 14 weeks to screen for Down’s syndrome. It measures the thickness of the nuchal pad (pocket of fluid at the back of the baby’s neck), which is related to the risk of Down’s syndrome – the more fluid there is, the more likely it is your baby will have Down’s. “I was not offered a nuchal scan but had read up about it and chose to have it done privately as I was 42 when I became pregnant. I was told my ‘risk’ was low, at one in 250, but then went on to have a baby with a rare medical condition (now resolved) of one in 4,500! We tend to think everything can be tested/ screened etc, when the reality is that these tests can’t check for every possible ‘abnormality’.” Lindy “You only have to look at threads on Mumsnet about nuchal results to see the fear and worry it causes. If we could test for other things most of us would be nervous wrecks throughout pregnancy.” EyeballsintheSky Other tests you may be offered/ need
