Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) examines the mother's blood to analyze the DNA to determine if there is any risk to your baby for any number of genetic disorders. The procedure is entirely safe for you and your baby. However, it cannot accurately determine whether your baby actually has a chromosomal disorder. It can only tell you about the likelihood of having that condition. Mothers to be who are 35 or older, previously having a child with a genetic disorder or having a family history of these conditions, may undertake NIPT to be informed of the baby's well-being.
Expectant mothers often have lots of questions about the health of their baby inside their foetus. Prenatal testing can provide a lot of valuable information about your baby. One such prenatal test is NIPT. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is an examination of expectant mothers' blood to analyze their DNA to find out if there is any risk to the baby for any number of genetic disorders.
The First Step to getting Information About Your Baby
A sample of your blood is collected to look at the DNA from your baby's placenta and identify whether you are at increased risk of giving birth to a child with a genetic disorder.
The procedure is entirely safe for you and your baby. The sample is then to a lab, where a technician will examine the cfDNA in your blood for signs of abnormalities.
However, NIPT Test During Pregnancy cannot accurately determine whether your baby has a chromosomal disorder. It can only tell you about the likelihood of having that condition.
Though the test can't state whether your baby has a genetic abnormality, NIPT is highly accurate and has exhibited 97 to 99 per cent accuracy for three of the most common conditions.
Once the results of NIPT are analyzed, your doctor will decide the next steps. Your test results will be seen in combination with the results of your first-trimester ultrasound or nuchal translucency screening. The doctor will decide if you should go further screening to have a diagnostic test like chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis ("amnio").
These are genetic tests that analyze a baby's genetic material. The DNA is collected from the amniotic fluid or placenta to determine whether a baby has a chromosome abnormality with uttermost surety.
Benefits of NIPT
This is the earliest prenatal test that acts as a prelude to invasive tests by positively determining the high-risk cases for further amniocentesis.
Non-Invasive Testing in India can be performed any time after nine weeks into your pregnancy. Compared to other screening tests such as nuchal translucency, screening is done between weeks 11 and 13. The quad screen is performed between weeks 14 to 22, CVS is performed at 10 to 13 weeks, and amniocentesis is performed usually conducted between weeks 16 and 18.
NIPT Test During Pregnancy screen for most of the common chromosomal disorders:
The test is also used to screen for additional chromosomal disorders caused by missing (deleted) or copied (duplicated) sections of a chromosome. It is considered non-invasive because the test requires drawing of blood only from the pregnant woman. Thereby producing no risk to the foetus.
The test also detects your baby's Rh blood type and gender. So, if you want the baby's gender to be a surprise, be sure to let your doctor know about it.
NIPT Limitations
Non-Invasive Testing in India has its limitations as the test can only estimate whether there is an increased risk for a genetic abnormality or not.
In some cases, NIPT results showed an increased risk for a genetic abnormality when the foetus was not affected (false positive), or the results showed a decreased risk for any genetic abnormality when in reality, the foetus was actually affected (false negative).
Since the test analyses a sample of your blood, some might think it may eventually be a screening tool for mothers too. It is solely for the screening of the foetus, but in some cases, it has also detected cancer or genetic condition in the mother.
Eligibility for the Test
In the past, doctors used to recommend NIPT only to those women who were at higher risk for carrying a baby with a chromosomal abnormality. Mothers to be who are 35 or older, previously having a child with a genetic disorder or having a family history of these conditions, are said to be at a higher risk.
You can discuss the test and Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Cost with your doctor to determine if it is the appropriate test for you. The decision is personal for every woman, and thus counselling is significant.
You can talk to a genetic counsellor to know what the positive results could mean for you and your baby. Parents should know as much as possible before the baby is born. Being informed is significantly a wiser decision to prepare yourself for your baby's special needs so that its needs are met straight away.
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