NT Scan with First Trimester Anomaly Scan

A nuchal translucency scan is an ultrasound scanning that measures a fetal’s nuchal translucency i.e. a fluid under the skin behind the fetal neck. This evaluation helps the doctor estimate the risk of fetal having any chromosomal abnormality. And is typically done between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. 

Pre-Examination Preparation:
During a nuchal translucency or NT scan, your doctor will ask to have a full bladder to ease the ultrasound scan. Also, you should wear comfortable clothes as this test might require probing the lower abdomen.

Procedure:
At the time of the physical examination, your doctor will perform an abdominal ultrasound. The ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves that show inside of the baby. With the help of this screening, the doctor measures the clear space at the back of your baby’s neck. Following this, the doctor will enter your age into the system for the purpose of calculating the risk carried by the fetus.

Result:
The result is declared on the same day right after the examination. The result is usually provided in the form of a ratio that expresses the fetus’s chances of having a chromosomal defect. If the ratio range is inside the cutoff then the report is normal however if the ratio range is above or below the cut off that means the result is “abnormal” and you might require further examination.

However a normal result does not guarantee that your baby has a normal chromosome, but it does indicate that there is no problem. Similarly, an abnormal result does not mean that the fetus has a chromosomal problem it just means that the fetus is most likely to have one. As an NT scan is a screening test and not a diagnostic one.