As an expectant parent, your top priority is ensuring the health and well-being of your baby. What many parents don’t realise is that giving birth to a healthy baby often begins with the right prenatal tests. These screenings can alert you to possible medical or genetic conditions your baby might be born with — and the best part is, some of them are completely safe and noninvasive.
One such test is the NIPT test — a noninvasive prenatal test that has proven to be a highly reliable tool for screening common chromosomal abnormalities early in pregnancy.1 If you are searching for good prenatal screening options, you can check lifecell.in for their maternal health services. Get more information on what the NIPT test is, why many clinicians recommend it, and how it works, in this guide below.
What is the NIPT Test?
The NIPT Test – noninvasive prenatal test, evaluates small fragments of fetal DNA, found in the mother’s blood (cell-free fetal DNA) to check for possible chromosomal aneuploidies (Abnormal number of chromosomes) such as Edwards Syndrome (trisomy 18), Patau Syndrome (trisomy 13) and Down Syndrome (trisomy 21). As the test is done using a maternal blood sample, it is noninvasive and causes no harm to the fetus.
Why Choose NIPT? Key Benefits
The main reasons for choosing the NIPT test include safety, high accuracy and early detection in screening for common chromosomal abnormalities like Down Syndrome. The procedure is also non-invasive and poses no risk to the fetus. Key benefits include:
- Obtaining timely information on the health of the fetus and making informed choices.
- Not to undergo invasive tests that may harm the fetus.
- A reduced need for further diagnostic testing in many cases.
Having said so, NIPT is a screening test and not a diagnostic one. So, if the results are positive, one may need to undergo CVS or amniocentesis (confirmatory invasive tests) for further testing.
When can NIPT be done?
NIPT is usually done from 10 weeks of pregnancy onwards. After this period, there is sufficient cell-free fetal DNA found in maternal blood for reliable analysis.
How is the NIPT Test Done?
Procedure for the NIPT test:
- A blood sample is collected from the mother’s arm post 10 weeks of pregnancy.
- This blood sample is then sent to the lab for further analysis.
- Lab technicians examine the tiny fragments of cell-free fetal DNA found circulating in the mother’s blood.
- In case of an extra or missing DNA in the sample, it is indicated as a potential genetic condition.
- The results usually come within two weeks and are then reviewed by your healthcare provider.
How Accurate are the NIPT Tests?
The NIPT test shows 99% accurate results in detecting Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21). However, the test is slightly less accurate for detecting Trisomy 13 and 18. Overall, NIPT tests showcase fewer false positives when compared to other prenatal tests. 7
Having said so, its accuracy is affected in cases like being pregnant with multiples, having obesity or in a surrogate pregnancy.
Who Should Consider NIPT?
Initially, the NIPT test was offered to pregnancies that were at a higher risk, including advanced maternal age, prior child with aneuploidy, and abnormal first-trimester screening result. It is an individual decision, and one should take a call based on the maternal risk factors and genetic predisposition. But now, this test is being increasingly done for all pregnant people in many big centres.
However, the NIPT is not recommended for people with twin pregnancies where either twin is suspected to have a genetic problem and for people carrying three or more babies.
Practical Tips Before and After Testing
Here are some practical tips you can ask your healthcare provider before and after testing:
- Inquire about which specific chromosomes and conditions the lab panel includes, as panels may vary.
- The three possible results may be: low-risk (most common), high-risk (requires diagnostic affirmation), or no result ( due to low cell-free fetal DNA)
- In high-risk cases, your healthcare provider might recommend other confirmatory invasive testing (CVS or amniocentesis) for further clarification. They might also recommend genetic counselling.
Wrapping Up
NIPT has transformed the prenatal screening scene by offering accurate, early and non-invasive information about the most common chromosomal abnormalities. It is much better than other invasive screening tests.
If you’re exploring options, LifeCell offers NIPT test panels and also provides consultation support. The test covers 26 parameters, and you can expect the results in 9 days.
