Planning ahead for a new baby should be one of the happiest times in a new mother’s life. But being concerned for the fetus’ health before its born is also normal. There are steps that can be taken to see if a fetus will be born with certain genetic abnormalities, and that procedure is called noninvasive prenatal testing, or NIPT for short. There are some things you should know about this testing procedure so that you can make an informed decision as to whether it might be right for you.
What Does The Test Do?
When it comes to noninvasive testing, small fragments of DNA are taken from the pregnant woman’s blood to see what is present. This DNA is different, since it is free-floating and not within the cells of the fetus itself. Within the DNA are less than 200 DNA building blocks that are a mix of both her cells and that of the placenta. This is because the placenta links the fetus’ and mother’s blood supplies together. That’s why it’s so easy to test if there are any genetic abnormalities present in the fetus.
What Can Be Screened For In Noninvasive Prenatal Testing?
NIPT mostly looks for chromosomal disorders that are caused by the presence of an extra or missing chromosome. Some of the most common disorders that can be screened for are Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, Patau syndrome, or extra X or Y chromosomes. NIPT can also be used to test for changes in single genes that can cause chromosomal disorders. The accuracy of the test is dependent on the kind of disorder that is present. It is merely a screening test, so there is no definitive answer as to whether certain conditions or disorders are likely or not. It is possible for the test to come back with a false positive (an increased risk despite the fetus being unaffected) or a false negative (a decreased risk despite the fetus being affected).
Other Forms of Noninvasive Prenatal Screening
Prenatal ultrasounds are also a part of the noninvasive screening procedure, which can reveal the presence of any physical abnormalities that may be present. There are two kinds of ultrasounds that can be conducted. It can be abdominal or it can be transvaginal. The abdominal ultrasound involves gel being applied to the abdomen and a transducer is placed on the abdomen and glides over the gel in order to create an image. A transvaginal ultrasound involves a smaller ultrasound transducer being inserted into the vagina and rests against the back of it in order to create an image. This often produces an image that is much sharper than an abdominal ultrasound.
Noninvasive prenatal screening can be an important step you may or may not want to take if you’re concerned for the health of your fetus. These procedures offer no risk to the fetus itself, unlike a procedure like amniocentesis, so that you can rest easy knowing that you’re not putting your fetus in danger. If you’re questioning whether this procedure is right for you, feel free to contact your medical provider as soon as possible.
