pregnancy & babyGuide

Simply put, NIPT is relatively expensive, but it has a high detection rate for certain chromosomal conditions.

It can screen for certain chromosomal conditions with relatively high accuracy from as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy.

The principle behind the test is fairly simple.

NIPT uses a maternal blood sample to analyze cell-free DNA (cfDNA), some of which comes from the placenta, circulating in the mother’s bloodstream.

Although it only requires a blood draw, NIPT can be quite expensive. Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether to have the test:

1) In pregnant women aged 35 or older, the positive predictive value (PPV) of NIPT tends to be higher.
2) In pregnant women in their 20s, the PPV may be lower than in women in their 30s or 40s.
3) Even if an NIPT result indicates high risk, additional diagnostic testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis.
4) Even after NIPT, screening for neural tube defects is still necessary through other tests.
5) Certain conditions, such as confined placental mosaicism, a vanishing twin, or certain maternal cancers, can lead to results that do not accurately reflect the baby’s condition.