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I am 20 weeks pregnant now. My blood work came back negative for Downs Syndrome but my baby has the spot on "her" heart too. My next appointment is this Monday the 14th. Just like you Ottig, I am praying that the spot went away. I will let you all know the update!

Hi Jodi, Thanks for writing back. Will be happy to hear your outcome after Monday 14th - are you having an ultrasound?? I have just come back from my GP - I was having a few days of anxiety - so thought I would go and have a chat with her. She helped me a little - although I can't wait till I see my little baby in August. Good luck on Monday, keep us posted LOL

Hi Ottig, Just came back from the OB. I found out my AFP results were 1/8500 for DS (better than the typical 1/270 for 35)! Now I'm waiting for the recalculated number due to the echogenic foci. I think it will be 3 fold due to my age. However, the results will still be greater than the amnio 1/200 risk, so I decided against it. The NP kept reassuring me how common this spot was. I asked if she had ever delivered a baby with this single marker that had DS. She said no! She also said they see this a lot in their office, and that if the UConn Health Center wasn't worried about it then I shouldn't be either (she said they always want to do more extensive testing such as an amnio and echocardiogram). I am somewhat relieved. I'm praying for all of us to have healthy babies. I'll send my final odds number once I get the call.

Forgot to mention that the NP said blood can sometimes make the echogenic foci mark. Also, a left ventricle echogenic foci is more common than one on the right side or bilateral (and the left has better odds of not having DS).

I had posted back in December when the 20 week ultrasound found an echogenic foci in the baby's heart. Just wanted to let everyone know that we had a beautiful and healthy baby boy on May 6. Good luck to everyone!

I went to my normal dr. appt. this week. The doctor reassured me that I should NOT worry about the "spot." My triple screen bloodwork was all negative and the echogenic spot was so far the only marker. I have another ultrasound tomorrow. I'm about 21 wks. Hopefully the spot will have disapeared and they won't find anyother problems. I will let you all know what happens. I know it helps when others have a positive experience with this. It's reasuring to everyone. I'll keep you updated.

Congratulations Amehrok on the arrival of your healthy boy on may 6. Am really happy for you. My baby also has the white spot so I am feeling a little anxious - I didn't have the Amnio, although you did. Now and again I wish I did have the amnio, but then I think I need to be positive. This is our first baby. I will be 37 when my baby is born around 9/8/07, which makes me nearly 28 weeks. My adjusted risk after they found the echogenic was 1:204-270. I know it is only 0.37-0.49% risk of DS, but still now again I get low about it. When I read the positive inputs (like yours) it makes me feel a little more reassured that my baby will be OK. Everything else was normal on my 12 week and 20 week ultrasounds. I have another ultrasound scheduled at 32 weeks. Did you have a scan after the 20 week ultrasound? Enjoy your second baby... Thanks for the update :)

Hi Jodi, Am glad to hear that your doctor said not to worry, and that is something we need to try and do. Hope all goes well with your ultrasound and look forward to your positive outcome. I have another ultrasound at 32 weeks, so I have to wait another 5 weeks to see whether the spot has disappeared or whether there are any other problems. But my fingers and toes are crossed for you and for my baby and for ALL the other babies on this forum.. LOL :)

Just thought I'd offer my story of hope.......at 20 weeks my Level 2 u/s showed an echogenic focus on the heart, all bloodwork came back great, so that was the ONLY soft marker I had. I refused the amnio and decided I wasn't going to let one soft marker get me down. Thank God I didn't because I have a beautiful 10 day old bundle of love who is perfect and sleeping right now!

Tracy88 and Ottig.....and everyone else on here,
Thank you for all of the encouragement and reassurance! And positive stories!!!
I went to my follow up ultrasound. I"m 21 wks. The baby still has the echo spot on
"her" heart. There are still no other markers for Downs Syndrome. Blood work was good. She measured normal and heart rate was normal. I have to go back in 4 weeks and do this again.
Everything other than the spot was fine except.....they said that I have a "Placenta Lake." This is like a vein on the placenta where a small pool of blood forms. They said it's sometimes common and should go away but that if it gets larger it could be dangerous. I think he said it's more common in older women. I'm 34.
They have to lay everything "on the table" about our pregnancies. He said that the only way I'd know for sure about the Downs Syndrome is to do an Amnio. My husband is really against it. I'm just going to be positive about all of this and try to stop worrying. I thought this appointment would ease my mind and it has slightly but not completely. I want that stupid spot off my little girls heart. I'll keep you all informed. And please keep sending all of your success stories!!! We all love to hear them!

Hi Tracy88, I am so happy to hear your positive and happy news. Enjoy your new bundle of joy - you deserve it after the worrisome time you have probably had since your 20 week ultrasound. Did you have any follow up ultrasounds after the 20 week one? Can I ask you how old you are? I am going to be 37 when my baby is born and I am 28 weeks nearly and I am scheduled for another ultrasound at 32 weeks. My baby also only has the silly spot and everything else looks OK. It has dampened the pregnancy excitement a little - as every now and again I start to worry, but only yesterday my husband said that we have to think positive - so that is what I am going to try and do from now on. Look forward to your reponse when you have time. LOL

Hi Jodi 34, it's me ottig again. I understand how you feel about the white spot, but let's try and keep positive. There are a lot of happy stories that we can read over and over to hopefully ease our minds. Look forward to your positive post in 4 weeks after your next ultrasound, and I will always post around that time as I will be having my 32 weeks Ultrasound, and will also post a positive response. You'll see we will also have happy endings :) LOL

Hi to all of you whom I relate to so well. At about 20 weeks I had an ultrasound that found two white spots on the left ventricle. However, I was informed about this at 24 weeks. My Dr. as well informed me of the calcium deposits and told me not to worry and that there is only a 99% chance of this meaning downs syndrome. She actually told me not to look things up on the internet and panic....but of course, I did. Because I am only 33, the chances of downs are rather slim and my test results showed that. However, I was worried out of my mind. Anyway, they made me go back for another ultrasound at 28 weeks. I had 4 weeks of stress and worry like the rest of you. When I returned and spoke with the Dr., she said that this was of no concern. She actually told me that this is sooo normal now adays and that this is like someone saying "Does your baby have blue or brown eyes?". She said that ultrasounds show so much more than they used to and if anything, this is a normal occurance. Once I went in for my ultrasound, I was soo nervous...but to ease all of your worries, the spots were gone!! Now, with 10 weeks left I am at peace. I hope my story can make some of you feel better. My Drs have been very calm through this entire ordeal and assured me that the chances were slim of this meaning a birth defect. It sounds like some of you did not have Drs that had the same disposition. My advice, do your research, talk to your drs, pray a little, and if everything has checked out good before you knew about the spots, chances are your baby will be just fine. Good luck to all of you and thanks for helping put my mind at ease when I was going a little nuts!!

Please excuse my mistake....I meant to write there was only a 1% chance of downs. Forgive me it is 4am and I cannot sleep...the joys of motherhood.

Brownfam-
THANK YOU for your positive story. It's awful to worry like we do about our babies. But it's so hard not to. It means A LOT to read these encouraging posts.
Ottig- I can't wait to hear about your beautiful healthy baby. I'm due 16 days after you! I know we will both be smiling hard when our little babies are brought to us all bundled up and put in our arms. :) Let's be excited. I need to start on decorating her room!

Hi, I've now had to become nervous about something else. My friend has just told me that she has been diagnosed with Fifth Disease "Slap cheek" and I spend some time with her on the weekend. I have been reading on the internet that this can be of some concern to the foetus - I am having a blood test on Monday to see whether I am immune to it or whether I have contracted the virus - what a loooonnnnnnnnnngggggggg weekend it is going to be. LOL