re: UPDATE: Difficult news regarding unborn child

Echogenic bowel (you described it as bright) and the neck measurements are what are referred to as “soft” markers for downs. My perfectly healthy daughter had them also. Ultrasounds are FAR FAR from perfect, especially with just soft markers. We skipped the early blood test then got the soft marker ultrasound which had us shitting bricks till the paterni 21 blood test came back normal a week later. I would put much more faith in the blood work. How old is your wife? Downs is especially rare in moms less than 35. My wife was only 29 when pregnant for our first which made the questionable ultrasound come out of left field. Again let me say my daughter is now a perfectly healthy and smart 3 year old. You said you were told there was a “high” chance he could have an abnormality, ask for a percentage. These “soft” markers are just that… soft! Meaning usually only a few percent. Ask for a balllpark probability. A 3% chance of an abnormality is high compared say the usual 0.3% chance. That means you have a ten fold increase in an abnormality. You also still have a 97% chance of having a normal baby. Again the blood work and not the ultrasound will be diagnostic. Ask these questions plus what blood work your maternal-fetal medicine doctor recommends.