NT scan is just a routine ultrasound that measures the neck fold of the baby. A larger neck fold can mean a higher risk of Down syndrome
A harmony test is you get a blood test and they can read buns dna from it. Can find out gender, if they have genetic problems/downs.
The harmony test CANNOT tell you definitively whether your baby has DS, similar to the NT scan it gives you a ratio 1:1 chance, etc. My husband and I are pro choice, and probably would have terminated if there was a high chance of our baby having DS - after researching and talking to others we decided to wait for 19 weeks for the routine NT scan, as the harmony test cant actually tell you anything different than the NT scan, it just has the added advantage of being done earlier - I think 10 weeks? So, you're basically paying $500 to know sooner, a result that isn't actually all that reliable. (your baby can come back with a 1:24 chance of having DS, but not actually have DS at all - results can be impacted by a hormone imbalance/issue, etc. Good luck.
As already mentioned it pretty much just measures the fluid retention at the back of the babies neck/head to check if it is at normal levels. Because it is "translucent" they perform it at 10-13 weeks now as they get a clearer view. It is common to get false positives though for a number of factors.
I'm opting for both, I really want the harmony for gender early on - performed at 10.5 weeks!
3 Replies
NT scan is just a routine ultrasound that measures the neck fold of the baby. A larger neck fold can mean a higher risk of Down syndrome
A harmony test is you get a blood test and they can read buns dna from it. Can find out gender, if they have genetic problems/downs.
The harmony test CANNOT tell you definitively whether your baby has DS, similar to the NT scan it gives you a ratio 1:1 chance, etc. My husband and I are pro choice, and probably would have terminated if there was a high chance of our baby having DS - after researching and talking to others we decided to wait for 19 weeks for the routine NT scan, as the harmony test cant actually tell you anything different than the NT scan, it just has the added advantage of being done earlier - I think 10 weeks? So, you're basically paying $500 to know sooner, a result that isn't actually all that reliable. (your baby can come back with a 1:24 chance of having DS, but not actually have DS at all - results can be impacted by a hormone imbalance/issue, etc. Good luck.
As already mentioned it pretty much just measures the fluid retention at the back of the babies neck/head to check if it is at normal levels. Because it is "translucent" they perform it at 10-13 weeks now as they get a clearer view. It is common to get false positives though for a number of factors.
I'm opting for both, I really want the harmony for gender early on - performed at 10.5 weeks!