Tell me about the CVS test

Hi all. My first post here. I am 10 weeks 3 days with identical twins. My babies are diamniotic/monochorionic and so far I feel like everything is going great. This is my first pregnancy. I've had 2 ultrasounds and the babies looked good, good heartbeats, and both grew in the time between my two ultrasounds. I go next week for the blood draw for the typical genetic testing. I have no idea if my husband or I are carriers for anything, my husband is also adopted so we are unsure about his genetic background. I've read that it is more common for the screens to come back "positive" with twins, even if there is no problem, and many people choose to go for additional testing after that - a CVS or amnio. I am not opposed to having the CVS or amnio, but a little worried about the risk of miscarriage that I've read about.

Do you mind sharing your experiences with the genetic testing and CVS? I realize this is a sensitive topic but I'd like to be prepared. Has anyone suffered a miscarriage as a result of one of these tests?

 

i have never done the CVS, but i did have an amnio with my first pregnancy and did not miscarry. the risks are very small, but still enough to make many not want to do it.

 

I'm not very familiar with the screening terminology so I'm not quite sure what a cvs test entails. However I think (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) the only screening test that carries any risks of miscarriage is the amnio. There are still many screening tests that can be done without there being risks of a miscarriage. I've done all the screenings (nuchal measurements with an u/s and bloodwork) except for the amnio. We opted to get the results from screenings first before deciding on an amnio and to not do the amnio since all our other tests were good.

 

I guess you have to ask yourself, are you going to want to give these babies up if their is a genetic defect? If not then I do not think it is important. Amnio has side effects and not good ones at that--I mean the negetive effects are small but to most women not worth it. I had gentetic counseling done because my fiance has a bad gene in his family and it could be past through him or he could not have it at all. they told us we could do testing to find out if my girls had it but to us it doesnt matter--we would not give them up or abort them if they did. and the testing is only 95% accurate so there is still that small chance that it is not correct!

good luck in your decision i wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy!

 

I think if there were some major chromosomal abnormality, especially if it were both babies, I would want to know. I think my husband and I would need to prepare for that. However, I just haven't made up my mind about further testing, especially knowing that there are risks, and hoping that hearing about other women's experiences will help.

citizenpelikan - the CVS test is similar to amnio but can be done earlier. I think they often go in through the cervix instead of the abdomen to take a sample of the chorionic villi, but they sometimes do it through the abdomen like an amnio. It has similar risks as amnio but the info I read was about singletons so I'm wondering whether those risks are increased with twins. I have only talked to one person who has actually had it done and she had it about 9 years ago and didn't remember much.

Also for the CVS or amnio with twins - I assume they do it twice? Is it painful?

 

from the medical point of view, besides a parent wanting to be prepared for any chromosomal anomaly that may be present in their child(ren), many anomalies carry heart problems that should have a medical team prepared at the time of delivery. i think it's better for the safety of your children to know and to be as prepared as possible and receive the best possible care.

 

AAAhhhhh ok. I know what that is but I thought you guys also called that an amnio. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm not a native English speaker.

Also -and this is not directed at sheras2 even though her post is quoted-, I don't agree with the only reason for having screening is for people who are ready to terminate if there are anomalies. I think that's a totally inaccurate assumption for many people who do choose to have screening but don't plan on terminating. Getting prepared for having a possibly disabled child is one reason to have a screening. Many reasons for different people.

 

my cousin had a cvs done with twins and carried both babies to term. i also disagree with the statement that you should not do the testing unless you would terminate due to genetic complications. i have VWD (a genetic bleeding disorder) and am a carrier for hemophilia. my 16 month old has hemophilia that he inherited from me. my next baby could also inherit it. we will not terminate a pregnancy because the baby has hemophilia but if the baby has it then it makes a huge difference in how the birth takes place, what medical staff is present, and what procedures can be performed during and after it and could save my baby's life. if you are at an increased risk for genetic illnesses, or have an unknown medical history like with your husband, you can't have too much knowledge beforehand.

 

I had the cvs test done at 11 weeks. It is a little more complicated when you have more than one in there. I had one done through the cervix and one done through the abdomen. The cervical one was actually more painful for some reason than the abdominal one. I bled a lot and cramped a lot afterwards but I have an extremely irritable uterus (doesn't like to be bothered at all the drs said!). I had preliminary results in 2 days and full results in a week. The only problem with mine is that we thing they accidentally tested one baby twice so we never got results for the other one. (they said we were having 2 boys and we had boy/girl).

 

I've actually had 2 amnios with my previous pregnancies and this time around had the CVS. Because of the positioning, I had both an adominal and cervical CVS procedure done.

For me, the amnio was a quick prick and I didn't have any complications with either and after my second I ended up taking care of the family and then caught the flu that they all had and I never miscarried. Both CVS(es) were to me harder (more painful) than an amnio. You get the results back approximately the same time, the only difference is when these tests can happen. CVS is done between 11-13 weeks. Most amnios are usually not done until 17+ weeks.

I would do the NT scan and if they see things, then decide to have the test.

For us, the first amnio was done because they saw issues and wanted to rule out chromosomal things. The second was because I tested positive for T-18 and then during the scan they saw markers that made them believe the blood test might be right. Turns out it was and we could have terminated, but chose not to.

So, I would think these tests are there to help parents to make a decision.

 

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy!

With re: to safety, evidently the safety of the amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) exams are INCREDIBLY DEPENDENT on the skill of the practitioner performing the exam. Therefore, you may want to ask for a referral to a specialist, e.g., a perinatologist, even if your OB states that he/she can perform the exam. In other words, I've been told that it's best to see someone who does this day in and day out, rather than on occasion.

With regard to genetic testing, I did what is called a "Full Integrated Screening" that combined a Nuchal Translucency (NT) ultra-sound @ 12 weeks gestation with first and second trimester blood draw test results (@ 8 and 16 weeks gestation, respectively) and a few demographic factors (e.g., age). This screening estimates the risk of the following birth defects: Down syndrome, Trisomy 18 (T-18), Trisomy 13 (T-13), and a few others.

This is what I learned: You can discuss these screening test results with your OB and/or genetic counselor or discuss whether to skip the screening exams and schedule diagnostic tests such as amnio and CVS. CVS can be conducted at 10-14 weeks gestation. A small number of cells are taken from the placenta and are tested for Down syndrome, T-18, and other chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders. Amnio can be conducted after 15 weeks gestation. A small amount of fluid is removed from the uterus and tested for specific birth defects.

Hope this helps and good luck making your decisions!

 

Thanks for all of the replies.
My OB has referred me to another doctor for the blood screening and any of these tests that I elect to do. They are genetic reproduction specialists affiliated with one of the best hospitals in the country and all they do is genetic testing and counseling, so I feel confident they are very experienced. One week after the blood draw my husband and I will go for a genetic counseling appointment to hear the results of the blood screen and at that appointment they will also do the NT ultrasound.
I am just hoping that all of these test results come back to show that everything is just fine. I don't want to go through the CVS or amnio unless the tests indicate some heightened risk. Just a little over a week to go. I'll be glad to get over this hurdle.

 

Sounds like you are in great hands. I also declined the diagnostic tests because the screening exams suggested that the girls were low risk.