Ensuring the health and safety of the fetus has become much easier thanks to the modern medical revolution and the efforts of scientists, who have developed several medical tests and examinations that help detect any serious fetal injuries early, including the non invasive prenatal testing.
The non invasive prenatal testing, NIPT, is a screening test performed during pregnancy to discover if the fetus is at risk for having a chromosomal disorder, particularly Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18), and Patau syndrome (trisomy 13).
Furthermore, the non invasive prenatal testing can also determine the fetus’s sex early.
The NIPT test is performed by taking a blood sample from the mother during pregnancy. This sample contains fragments of DNA that make up the fetus’s genes and chromosomes, allowing for early detection of the fetus’s genetic makeup.
The blood sample is then sent to a specialized medical laboratory for analysis to detect any congenital disorders resulting from genetic abnormalities in the fetus.
Any mother can undergo non-invasive prenatal testing, but it is particularly recommended in the following cases:
It is worth noting that non-invasive prenatal testing is suitable for everyone; each pregnant woman can undergo the test to be assured about her fetus’s health, regardless of whether the fetus is at risk of genetic disorders or not, especially since the test depends only on a small blood sample and doesn’t cause any harm or risks for the fetus or mother.
The good news is that the NIPT test is approximately 99% accurate in detecting Down syndrome specifically, while its accuracy in detecting trisomy 18 and 13 in Patau and Edward syndromes is slightly lower.
This means the accuracy of the test varies depending on the condition being examined, and scientists point out that other factors, such as a twin pregnancy or maternal obesity, can affect NIPT test results.
But in general, NIPT tests produce significantly fewer false-positive results than other prenatal tests, such as the quadruple screen and others.
What some people don’t know is that non-invasive prenatal testing is just a screening test, meaning it doesn’t give a direct answer telling you whether your fetus has a genetic defect or whether your fetus is healthy.
In fact, the test result will tell you whether there is an increased or decreased risk of the fetus developing the disease for which the test was conducted. Moreover, sometimes the test results can be difficult to interpret, and the mother may need to undergo further testing.
When you request a nipt test in Dubai from Lana Life Care, you will receive separate results for each case examined to make the evaluation of the results easier and more accurate, as the test results may indicate a positive or high risk for Down syndrome and a negative or low risk for Edward syndrome spontaneously, so we make sure to provide you with a clear and detailed result report.
The idea behind non-invasive prenatal testing is to assess the proportion of DNA fragments that reach the mother’s bloodstream from the fetus via the placenta, known as cell-free DNA (cfDNA).
Therefore, performing the test in the case of a twin or multiple pregnancy will give a false positive, indicating a high risk of genetic defect as a result of cfDNA reaching the mother’s blood from more than one fetus.
Yes, the non invasive prenatal testing requires nothing more than a venous blood sample from the mother’s arm without harming the fetus, and is therefore completely safe compared to other tests performed during pregnancy, such as:
This test can be performed after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and requires taking a sample of the fluid surrounding the fetus for examination.
This test, also known as the CVS test, can be performed between 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy, and requires taking cells from the placenta for examination.
Although these two tests definitively determine whether a child has a genetic disorder, performing them poses a risk to the fetus’s life because they are invasive tests.
For the best and most accurate Home Health Care in Dubai, look no further than Lana Life Care, the largest medical center specializing in home health care services, with teams of experienced, skilled, and officially accredited doctors and nurses.
Among our most prominent services, we provide lab test at home services, which include helping every mother to ensure the safety of her fetus by providing the NIP test at home with accuracy, professionalism, and complete privacy, while she is in the comfort of her home at any time, 24/7, and at very competitive prices.
It is a blood test performed in the tenth week of pregnancy to measure the amount of cfDNA in the mother’s blood and assess the likelihood of the fetus having a genetic defect.
The cost of the NIPT test varies from one medical center to another in Dubai, depending on experience, professionalism, accreditation, and whether the service is home-based, but in general, the cost ranges from 999 to 3000 AED.
If there is evidence suggesting a possible genetic abnormality in your fetus, then NIPT is certainly worthwhile. Ultimately, the decision regarding the necessity of the test rests with your gynecologist or geneticist.
Non-invasive prenatal testing can be performed starting from the 10th week of pregnancy.
Yes, the NIPT test helps in identifying the sex of the fetus.
Yes, the NIPT test is safe and does not pose any risk to the mother or fetus because it only involves drawing a venous blood sample.
The test takes approximately 5 to 10 days from the date the laboratory receives the blood sample.
