NIPT: When Is The Test Done And What Are Its Benefits?

A simple blood test can tell a lot about your baby. Small fragments of your baby’s DNA that circulate in your bloodstream allow for prenatal genetic screening. The non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) lets the doctor know about the baby’s risk of having chromosomal abnormalities. Its results will decide on further testing and monitoring.
 

What Is NIPT?
 

NIPT is a prenatal blood test to screen for fetal aneuploidy disorders such as Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18) and Patau syndrome (trisomy 13) that cause intellectual disability or significant birth defects.
 

NIPT is more accurate than the traditional first-trimester blood screenings (such as blood work or quad screening). The test is 90 to 99% accurate with false positive rates of less than 1%. It means there is a very less chance that your practitioner would recommend follow-up tests such as CVS or amniocentesis.
 

Who Goes Through An NIPT?
 

NIPT is recommended if:
 

-You are aged 35 or more.
 

-Your BMI is 30 or more.
 

- You used IVF to get pregnant.
 

-You previously had a baby with chromosomal abnormality
 

-There is a family history of chromosomal conditions
 

-Ultrasound or other prenatal tests have detected a problem
 

When Is NIPT Done?
 

It can be done as early as ten weeks into gestation, which is earlier than any other prenatal screening or diagnostic tests. You will receive the results in a week or two.
 

How Is The Test Done?
 

The procedure involves drawing blood, which is then sent to the laboratory for analysis. The lab technician looks at the cell-free DNA (cfDNA), the baby’s DNA fragments in the mother’s blood, for signs of abnormality.
 

Your healthcare practitioner will pair the results of the test with other findings from the first-trimester ultrasound scan and nuchal translucency screening for further diagnosis.