Planning a Baby  Discussion Forum

Hello Archie,
Am indu from the september 06 board. hope u remember me.. am not sure if u are checking the september board and hence i am posting my query here. I am currently 17 weeks plus few days pregnant. I had my doctors visit yesterday for the AFP test and i asked them as to when i would have my detailed ultrasound and they told me it would be between 24 and 26 weeks. Now in everyother expecting board i see that this ultrasound is performed by the 20th week. can you please let me know if doing it in the 24th week would be late. please let me know.
thankyou

Indu archie replied. Indu,
practice in USA and other country vary.
If you are in India then your ultrasound would be around 24th week.
In UK and australia it will be around 22 week.

However the procedure in USA is like this, AFP (between 15th 18th weeks) followed by levelII ultrasound (between 18th to 20th weeks) to confirm findings of AFP. If the AFP test was positive and ultrasound determine confirmation then one may want to go through amnioscentis, a test that takes nearly 15days to get the results. In USA if the pregnancy has to terminate they like to be done before week 26 and to advance all the sequence of test is fixed.

if your AFP test comes negative and your ultrasound is scheduled around week 24 then nothing is wrong. However if the AFP is positive which is possible even without having down syndrome to fetus, then you may advance ultrasound or go for amnioscentis.

Hope this clears your doubt.
archie
Yes, I visit september board too, may have been overlooked a little.