NIPT/NIPS (T13, T18, 21), SCA ASSAY – MC065
🤰 Advanced Prenatal ScreeningReport: 10th to 12th Working Day
Sample Type: Maternal Blood (Special Streck Tube)
Test Code: MC065
• This test can be performed from the 10th week of pregnancy onwards.
• This is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. A High Risk result requires confirmation.
• No fasting is required for this test.
NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing), also called NIPS, is a revolutionary screening test that assesses the risk of a fetus having certain chromosomal abnormalities. It is performed with a simple blood draw from the mother, making it completely safe for the baby.
This advanced laboratory test analyzes cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) circulating in the mother's blood to screen for:
- Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)
- Trisomy 18 (Edwards' Syndrome)
- Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome)
- Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies (SCA) (e.g., Turner Syndrome, Klinefelter Syndrome)
✔ Provides a clear Low Risk or High Risk result, offering peace of mind.
✔ Can be done as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy.
How NIPT Works: Analyzing Fetal DNA from Maternal Blood
During pregnancy, a small amount of the baby's DNA, released from the placenta, circulates in the mother's bloodstream. This is called cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA). Using advanced genetic sequencing technology, our diagnostic center can isolate and analyze this cffDNA to count the number of chromosomes.
A Trisomy occurs when there are three copies of a particular chromosome instead of the usual two. This test screens for:
- Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome): Caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. It is the most common chromosomal abnormality, associated with intellectual disabilities and characteristic physical features.
- Trisomy 18 (Edwards' Syndrome): Caused by an extra copy of chromosome 18. This is a severe condition associated with major organ defects and a very short life expectancy.
- Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome): Caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13. This is also a severe condition with major birth defects.
- Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies (SCA): This part of the assay checks for abnormal numbers of the X and Y chromosomes, such as XO (Turner Syndrome), XXY (Klinefelter Syndrome), or XXX (Triple X Syndrome).
Why Choose NIPT?
Traditional screening (like the Dual or Quadruple marker test) measures hormones and proteins in the mother's blood and has a higher false-positive rate. NIPT is a next-generation test with much higher accuracy (detection rate >99% for Down Syndrome) and a much lower false-positive rate. This means it provides greater reassurance and significantly reduces the number of women who are unnecessarily referred for invasive diagnostic testing (like amniocentesis), which carries a small risk of miscarriage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
NIPT stands for Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (or NIPS for Screening). It is an advanced screening test that analyzes fetal DNA from a simple blood sample from the pregnant mother to assess the risk of common chromosomal abnormalities like Down Syndrome.
No. This is a highly accurate screening test, not a diagnostic test. It provides a risk score (High Risk or Low Risk). A "High Risk" result does not mean the baby definitely has the condition. It indicates that a follow-up, invasive diagnostic test (like amniocentesis) is recommended to confirm the result.
This test can be performed any time from the 10th week of pregnancy onwards, which is much earlier than many traditional screening tests.
NIPT involves complex, state-of-the-art genetic sequencing technology in the laboratory. The process of isolating the tiny fragments of fetal DNA, sequencing them, and performing advanced bioinformatics analysis to calculate the risk scores takes significant time and expertise.
Yes. Because the test analyzes the sex chromosomes (X and Y) to screen for SCAs, it can also determine the fetal sex with high accuracy. Please inform the lab or your doctor if you do not wish to know the gender.