Chromosomal abnormalities —such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs, abnormal numbers of X or Y chromosomes) —could affect your baby’s health and development and can now be checked via a simple blood draw. Previously, the only way to get this genetic information was through invasive procedures such as chrorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Tests (NIPT) screens for chromosomal abnormalities from your baby’s DNA that enters into your bloodstream from the placenta. Most NIPT tests are able to also detect if you’re having a boy or a girl.
The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommends that all pregnant women should be informed that NIPT is the most sensitive screening option for Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome)1 and requires only a blood sample from the mother. Amniocentesis requires withdrawing fluid from around the developing baby and poses a small risk of miscarriage.
Parkway Laboratories offers various NIPT options in Singapore to suit your needs.
- MaterniT Genome:
MaterniT Genome can analyse EVERY chromosome of your baby to identify extra or missing parts of chromosomes or whole chromosome changes.
Click here for more details.
- iGene:
iGene® screens for Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edward Syndrome), Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome), sex chromosome anueploidies and selected deletion syndromes.
Click here for more details.
- Panorama:
Panorama screens for Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edward Syndrome), Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome), sex chromosome anueploidies and selected deletion syndromes.
It can also tell you if your twins are identical or not and detects conditions such as molar pregnancies, triploidy and vanishing twin.
Click here for more details.
Discuss with your Clinician
Please discuss your screening options with your clinician. NIPTs are screening tests. Genetic counseling and diagnostic testing are recommended to confirm positive findings.
Disclaimer: No diagnostic testing can show all birth defects or genetic diseases. Even when all the results of diagnostic testing are normal, the pregnancy can still have a risk of birth defects.
References:
- Gregg, A. R., et al. (2016). Noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy, 2016 update: A position statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Genetics in Medicine. doi:10.1038/gim.2016.97
