Maternity21 instead of NT?

Hi everyone,

We got DD using IUI 2 years ago (she was born 5/2014)
We used IUI with success in May of this year.

We finally got to see the Ob/Gyn this week and she said:
We're in week 13 and its kind of late for the Nuchal Transluceny scan.
She said its not needed and that we can wait until week 16 and take the Maternity21 test which has a 99% accuracy for Downs Syndrome and other problems.

Is this true? (with the Maternity21 we don't need the NT)

With DD, we did the Nuchal test.

If the Maternity21 test is so "good/accurate" - then why do people still do the Nurchal test or Amniocentesis or Chorionic Villus Sampling?

Thanks

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

I don't think I had the NT test done this time around...I am over 35 for baby #2 so I had the MaterniT21 test done at 13 weeks.

It's not always covered by insurance (mine was not) and we were billed $2700 from the lab. But then they knock it down to about $140 if insurance doesn't pay.

This test, they say, is more accurate and less invasive than some others (say an amnio) since it is a blood test. We did other tests as well afterwards but this one provided a ton of peace of mind.

Message edited 8/3/2015 2:21:12 PM.

Maternity21 instead of NT?

I did both verifi and nt scan. There's diff things that they look for in each.

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

I did the Maternity21 much earlier (9 weeks).
It has excellent success rate & will likely replace older technology.
Def find out 1st if insurance will cover (age/insurance/risk factor dependent).
I did my nuchal at about 12 anyway.

The Maternity 21 test & the others like it are non-invasive screening tests with a (VERY) high sensitivity. If they are positive, you then get a more invasive diagnostic test (amnio).

Maternity21 instead of NT?

Insurance...crap.
I'm in the middle of a 4k argument with a hospital right now for a 60 minute ER visit.

So its true that Maternity21 will find out the chances of Downs and other potential disabilities?

Any idea why we need to wait until week 16 for that?

Thank you all

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

Maternity21 only tests for downs and the other few trisomies. It doesn't test for everything that an amnio would.

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

My doctor didn't do the official NT scan because my MaterniT-21 came back clear. They both check for Downs Syndrome and my MaterniT-21 showed that the 21st chromosome (and several others) were normal. I did have a more detailed sono at my 12 week appointment and they "informally" checked how thick the nuchal fold was, but I didn't have to do the blood like I did with my first DD 4 years ago.

An amnio is different - it checks all 23 pairs of chromosomes. The MaterniT-21 only checks 3 of them (for the most common trisomies), plus the sex chromosomes.

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

You don't need to wait until 16w. In fact I'm a little surprised the doctor would recommend that since if you should opt for further testing after you get results, the CVS is typically offered in the first trimester, amnio in the second. Materniti 21 and the others like it check only the most common trisomies and Downs. I had it at 10.5 weeks and then a CvS at 13w. They did a sono to look at the nuchal fold, but the much more accurate results come from the materniti 21.

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

I had both a maternal blood DNA test (an equivalent of materni21) - done at 10 weeks, and also the nt scan at 12 weeks, and then another test at 16 weeks that is similar to the blood tests they do in conjunction with the NT scan. I'm over 35.

My doctor explained that last year, a baby was born at NSUH with Down syndrome when the maternal blood DNA tests came back negative for it. It is over 99% accurate, but not 100% - only an amino or cvs would be 100% accurate. Thus, the doctors are encouraged from the hospitals to give a whole battery of the noninvasive tests, and not just one.

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?

I just had the MaterniT21 last Monday, at 12w, and then had the NT this past Friday. I was under the impression that the MaterniT21 test was usually done early, so that pending the results, you could choose to do the CVS.

MaterniT21 doesn't replace CVS or Amnio bc it's a non-invasive screening test. Rather, if the results are positive for any abnormalities, you can then go on to get a CVS in the 1st tri or an amnio in the 2nd tri. CVS and amnio are both diagnostic tests, and to my knowledge are 100% accurate.

Re: Maternity21 instead of NT?