When a Soft Marker on an Unborn Baby Is Found What Do They Do?

Medical Protocol

• Generally if a soft marker is found, medical providers will simply monitor the mother and fetus. Sometimes monitoring may consist of more frequent prenatal visits, additional ultrasounds or an order for further testing, such as an amniocentesis. What the medical staff chooses to do is largely related to other factors such as the type of soft marker, the specific conditions that the soft marker may represent, maternal factors and the number of soft markers found on one baby.

Types

• Unlike a hard marker, which is a very obvious and usually definitive indication that an unborn baby has a specific condition, a soft marker simply means there may be an increased risk that the fetus will have a medical problem. For example, an increased thickness in the nuchal fold between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy is considered a soft marker for Down's Syndrome. Another example of a soft marker is a echogenic bowel, which shows an increased risk of Down's Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, viral Infections, bowel obstruction or Intrauterine Growth Restriction. The medical protocol will greatly be dependent on the severity of the condition that the specific type of soft marker indicates.

Maternal Factors

• Maternal risk factors that would increase the odds that they fetus has a specific condition are also considered. For example, a mother above the age of 35 or who has a history of Down's Syndrome in her family would be considered at higher risk for having a baby who also has Down's Syndrome. Therefore, if a soft marker were found on her fetus it would make her at higher risk than a young mother who had no family history and only had a baby with a soft marker.

Amount

• When a fetus is found to have multiple soft markers it is at a higher risk for having a chromosomal condition than a baby who is found only to have one. Medical staff will assess the overall risks to the fetus before deciding a course of action.

The Mother's Decision

• Although the presence of soft markers on an unborn fetus may be an indication of a chromosomal abnormality, most babies found to have soft markers are born completely healthy. According to Leeds Teaching Hospitals, about 1 in 30 babies have a soft marker and in the majority of these babies, there will be no consequential problems. Ultimately, it is the mother's decision whether she wants to have further testing done.