Unable to perform Combined Screening due to fetal position or gestational age

Unfortunately, we have not been able to measure the Nuchal Translucency (The pad of fluid at the back of your baby’s neck). This may be due to the position of your baby or because your pregnancy is too far advanced for this particular test.

As an alternative, we can offer you a different kind of screening test, called the quadruple test, that can be carried out by your community Midwife after 14 weeks and 3 days of pregnancy, but before 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Quadruple test

This screening test is a blood test only and measures four pregnancy hormones. This will provide you with a numerical risk of your baby being affected by Down’s syndrome but does NOT screen for Edward’s or Patau’s Syndrome.

Following your visit today, you have the following options:

1. If you are between 14+3 and 20 weeks pregnant today you can either have your blood taken in Antenatal Clinic after your scan, or
2. Ask your community Midwife to take blood for the Quadruple test at your 16 week appointment, or
3. Contact your community Midwife to make an appointment, before you get to 20 weeks of pregnancy, and ask her to take blood for the Quadruple test.

Further information

There is additional testing, Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), which is not available on the NHS but should be accessed privately, at a cost.

If you feel you need further information about any screening test, please either refer to the ‘Screening tests in pregnancy information’ booklet that was given to you at your initial booking appointment or follow the link below:

or telephone the antenatal screening office.