Obstetrical Sonography: The Best Way to Terrify a Pregnant Woman

J Ultrasound Med 2000; 19:1-5 ^ | 2000 | Roy A. Filly, M.D.

[Tired of Taxes]

Something about Alpha Fetal Protiens. If the levels were too high, then Spinal Biffida (sp?) may be diagnosed, or if too low, Downs Syndrome may be diagnosed. Well, her levels were high.

I was offered that test during each one of my three pregnancies. The description I was given indicated that the test results are wrong half the time, anyway. So, I refused it every time. Even if parents just want to be well-prepared for their baby's possible health problems, those test results could be inaccurate 50% of the time.

Good for you and your wife for fighting that doctor!

[Hildy]

Suzi - I post this question...if husband and wife have differing views, whose views are respected?

[SuziQ]

DANG! What a cutie!! I was 37 when I had our fourth. The doctor mentioned amnio and AFP, only because he had to, by law. He knew that if anything untoward showed up, I wouldn't abort no matter what. He mentioned the test for spina bifida, and I asked if there was any other way he could tell if it were present, and he said he could with the ultrasound. So we did that, and everything was fine. My baby turned 16 this past February.

You know, I'm wondering if this is just one of those 'run it up the flagpole' articles starting to make people dismiss ultrasound because the pregnancy alternative folks are using them now to encourage women NOT to abort their babies. Muddy the waters to discredit the pro-life folks. Maybe not, but my hackles got raised reading the article. Sounded like he was just 'protesting too much'.

[Polyxene]

What a beautiful little boy! God Bless you and your family!

[stevio]

We've had the same diognosis 1 month ago. We went last week for an echo cardiogram and the baby looks fine, due date Aug. 24. All prayers are welcome for our little one, but we feel pretty confident that this is nothing. Again, all prayers are welcome.

[SuziQ]

if husband and wife have differing views, whose views are respected?

The parents need to be adults and do what is best to protect the BABY! I NEVER had an amnio with any of our four because I knew how invasive they are and the risks involved. If I never intended to abort the baby, it really doesn't matter, does it?

This came up mostly with our 4th child because I was 37. I asked the doctor if having advance knowledge of the presence of spina bifida would help him in any way, and he said that if he knew it were present, he'd take special precautions during delivery, so he checked the ultrasound and didn't see any problems. If the ultrasound hadn't been conclusive, I likely would have done the AFP test only to give the doctor some heads up for delivery, because it is a simple blood test, and not harmful to the baby in any way.

[Theophilus]

You know, I'm wondering if this is just one of those 'run it up the flagpole' articles starting to make people dismiss ultrasound because the pregnancy alternative folks are using them now to encourage women NOT to abort their babies.

Ouch! I can assure you that this is not that case!!! I really am the father of 9 kids, 7 alive (6 VBAC's), well and breathing, 1 in heaven (miscarriage) and 1 alive, well (I believe) and on the way.

Ultrasound can be a valuable psycological inducment to persuade someone to not get an abortion. I'm 100% for it then. But how often does it persuade women to get an abortion? What good does a test do for a condition with no theraputic solution?

I wholheartedly consented to the 1st ultrasound this time, it was fun. Now 5 weeks later, we have this to contend with.

[Hildy]

You didn't answer my questions. There are times husbands and wives will have different viewpoints..WHOSE views should be repected?

[Spunky]

I am so thankful I was of the generation when you had nine months to just marvel at the miracle of a baby developing in your uterus. The excitment of finding out the sex of the baby at the time of birth. I think all these new fangled tests can make it nine months of anxiety.

That said, I will pray for you and your wife to have a healthy baby.

[reagan_fanatic]

I went to your webpage - what a handsome little boy! It thrills my heart to see things turn out good like they did for you. My Wife and I (she's 40, I'm 45) just had a darling baby girl about 8 months ago. We underwent all sorts of tests simply due to the fact she was forty and the fact that I have a genetic condition that I have to take Warfarin (Coumadin) for.

Those were some scary times, let me tell ya!

[Full Court]

There are times husbands and wives will have different viewpoints..WHOSE views should be repected?

Philippians 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

[Yaelle]

Hi, congrats on your baby, and I'm sorry not to know anything about that which they spotted. But I did want to say that I could NOT disagree with this doctor more.

I think that the Level II ultrasound is of utmost importance for every pregnant woman. Best done in an office or hospital where the tech and doctors do thousands, it is a very important tool to help determine many things about the baby. Pregnant women worry. Sometimes over nothing. That has nothing to do with whether or not it is good to know certain things. There are some treatments that can start already in utero, and there is a lot of planning for things to occur right after birth.

For example, if the placenta is lying wrong, it is essential to make sure the mother has no pelvic activity (sex) and probably no lifting or vacuuming the rest of her pregnancy. Also, if there is a correctable yet life-threatening defect, the baby may have prenatal surgery, or, more likely, be taken by C-section at the right time and taken immediately into surgery, where the right neonatal specialists are prepared and waiting to correct the problem. If one didn't know about these, the baby born naturally might just pass away during or after birth.

If families find out about a serious problem, Down's or other, at the ultrasound, well, they have time to mourn or grieve and prepare before the child is born. Even a child with life incompatibility will need a minute or hour or day of loving contact with his parents before he passes on, and you could use those months to prepare. If a child has Down's, there is so much to learn and prepare for. At birth, the child comes into knowing parents' arms and finds love and acceptance. What more could a little soul want?

I recommend you and your wife go together to the level II and see your precious little baby in there. It will be a moment you will never forget, and information is not the enemy. If the test doesn't tell you whether or not your child has Down's, a quick amnio taken at the same time (nearly painless, takes maybe 2 minutes max) will give you definitive results in a week or so. It's all going to be OK. Support your wife and get the information you need. It could be a huge relief to her, too.

[birddog]

I would go and get as much information as possible - it will prepare you for what what is to come and will help the doctors. I had twins a few years ago and at our first sonogram, I was told that babyA looked normal, but babyb had some major issues. We when to a specialist and he told us that babyb would not live and had a 50/50 change of dieing in the womb. Babyb's spine didn't completely form and his organs (kidney's, lungs) did not look fully formed. They mentioned having him aborted, but that was not an option.

Yes, we grieved and it was really tough, but I am glad we knew what to expect. The last 2 weeks of the pregnancy I was on bedrest at the hospital and we had sonograms everyday. I got to see them both a lot those two weeks and I'm glad I did.

Matthew beat the odds and lived till my c-section. We chose not to try to resuscitate him past giving him oxygen. I didn't want to prolong the inevitable by causing him pain (needles, tubes, etc) and he died in his daddy's arms about 20-30 minutes after birth.

David, his brother, will be 4 in June. Their birthday will always be bittersweet, but that is how life works sometimes.

[bethelgrad]

Not sure the point of the Tom/Oprah pic, but for some reason it always makes me giggle!

[Theophilus]

I Praise God for your beautiful healthy child and I thank God for your wonderful advice!

[floozy22]

A handsome little tyke! Good for you!

[Yaelle]

Your obviously non-Downs little boy is beautiful!!

I refused the amnio because in so many instances they cause miscarriage.

No, they do not. Miscarriage is a VERY rare occurrence from an amnio.

[Hildy]

I just can't get a straight answer here...I'm not surrised.

[Yaelle]

What good does a test do for a condition with no theraputic solution?

It allows you to prepare, and it allows you to not reinvent the wheel. Others have gone before you, and when you know what road you are traveling down, you can glean what they know. I am thinking of an autism diagnosis in a child. There isn't any "treatment" for the higher functioning. Yet it helps to at least get the diagnosis, even if you don't LIVE that diagnosis (your child Joey is still your child Joey, period, not "the autistic child Joey").

That is the theory. But in YOUR case, there may be something therapeutic. You don't know if there is ANYTHING, but getting that special look at your child might tell you something that you CAN do, now.

[Yaelle]

Beautiful post. Brought tears to my eyes. Life can be oh so bittersweet. I am so sorry you lost Matthew.

Every baby deserves the love Matthew received prenatally and on his one day down here with us mortals. It's better to know and prepare. I would definitely have wanted to know too.