[Fetal nuchal edema in the 11th to 14th week of pregnancy--an indication of trisomy?].

Screening for fetal trisomies based on maternal age or on second trimester maternal serum screening (triple test) has not significantly reduced the rate of liveborn babies with Down's syndrome. Nuchal translucency measured in early pregnancy appears to be a promising lead in screening for trisomies. Sensitivity is 80% with a false-positive rate of 5%. Based on maternal age and nuchal translucency thickness, the introduction of this method has provided promising results.