Within the entire universe of tests and analytics that women must do throughout their pregnancy, there is one that is usually ordered under certain particular cases: we are talking about the Non-Invasive Prenatal Test, a blood test that allows detecting the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities that occur during conception and / or pregnancy, without the need to undergo an invasive test such as amniocentesis.
What is the Non-Invasive Prenatal Test?
This is an analysis that can be carried out from week 10 of gestation and allows detecting chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to late abortions or the birth of a baby with serious congenital problems.
In addition to improving the rate of detection of abnormalities in the fetus, it reduces the number of false positives of the Combined Screening of the First Trimester, and is ordered when it determines a risk of 1/50 to 1/280 or in those women who have already had a child with some chromosomopathy.
Although there is a high risk or not of presenting an abnormality in the fetus, the test can be performed since the information is quite accurate about the baby’s condition and can generate more reassurance for parents. However, it must be taken into account that there are special situations that require an individual assessment and in which the reliability of the test results decreases : pregnant women with obesity, pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive techniques (ART), first degree consanguinity or in multiple pregnancy.
What does the Non-Invasive Prenatal Test detect?
- Detects the risk that the baby is a carrier of trisomy 13, 18 or 21 (Patau syndrome, Edwards syndrome or Down syndrome).
- Detects the number of X and Y sex chromosomes (S. Klinefelter, Triple X, S. Turner, S. double Y, etc.).
- It can identify abnormalities that affect a small segment of any chromosome, or what are known as microdeletion or microduplication syndromes (which are broadly related to malformation and mental retardation).
- Identify the sex of the baby .
How is the Non-Invasive Prenatal Test performed?
This test is carried out with a blood extraction from the pregnant woman, with which the fetal DNA that is free circulating in the maternal blood is analyzed and thanks to which the baby’s chromosomes can be analyzed.
The estimated time to know the results depends on the site where it is practiced: if it is privately, they take about 4 days and it has an approximate cost of 500 euros . Through Social Security it can be extended up to two weeks (I know this because my gynecologist ordered it in my last pregnancy, almost three years ago).
In Babies and More | Andalusia includes the Non-Invasive Prenatal Test to detect congenital anomalies, safer than amniocentesis
