One of the strongest indications that there might be something going on with your baby is whether the skin behind the neck is thick. In the first trimester, your provider looks at what’s called the nuchal translucency, which is a space behind the neck and back.  Half of babies with an increased measurement of this space have a chromosomal abnormality.  Once you make it to 16 weeks, your provider looks at the nuchal fold, which is the skin behind the lower part of the skull.  This is also highly associated with chromosomal abnormalities, with the most common being Down Syndrome and Turner Syndrome.  Can genetically normal babies have thickened nuchal folds and translucencies?  Of course! But this could also be a clue that there is something structurally going on as well.  Check out this episode to learn more! 

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