The NT is the small collection of fluid at the back of the baby’s neck that the sonographer will measure if they identify that it looks big or if you have asked for screening for Down’s syndrome (T21), Edwards’ syndrome (T18) and Patau’s syndrome (T13).
Most babies where the NT measures 3.5mm and above will have no other problems. However, it is more likely that these babies could have certain issues, which the health professional will have discussed with you. One of these is that the baby is slightly more likely than most to have a chromosomal change.
You may have chosen to have screening for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome and the obstetrician may have discussed the result of this test with you.
We may offer you chronic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to see whether your baby has a chromosomal change. If we offer you CVS or amniocentesis you should be aware that both of these tests have a small risk of causing a miscarriage.
Other findings on the early pregnancy dating scan – the health professional will discuss the findings of the scan with you and tell you which tests they will offer. They will tell you which sections of this booklet are relevant to you.