NIPT is a blood test that is more accurate than the combined screening. It’s offered to women who are carrying a baby identified from previous screening tests as having a higher chance of having either Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome, or Patau’s syndrome.
Mediclinic’s NIPT test in the UAE, utilizes state of the art Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology through our Mediclinic Precise laboratory, to provide you with the most accurate and reliable prenatal testing possible. (99.8%accuracy)
The NIPT test is a genetic test that can be taken as early as 10 weeks of your pregnancy to screen for specific chromosomal abnormalities that might affect the health of your baby. NIPT are also sometimes can be used to determine the gender of your baby at an earlier stage than an ultrasound.
Our ability to screen the whole fetal genome allows for a more accurate test with a lower test failure rate. Our NIPT testing in the UAE also offers a genetic counselling service, in-country testing and is supported by a CAP accredited lab.
Our accuracy of testing using the Illumina platform for all three aneuploidies is 99.9% allows us the most accurate NIPT test available in the UAE. All pregnant women who need insight into their baby’s development can avail the test, regardless of their age. Mediclinic NIPT is recommended for all types of pregnancies. Medical societies today such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG), support the use of NIPT as the first line of screening for all pregnancies, irrespective of maternal age or baseline risk.
This test may be offered to patient in the following circumstances:
- Advanced maternal age (>35 years): NIPT may be offered as a first line screening test in women who are 35 years or older as they are thought to be at a slightly higher risk for carrying a baby with chromosomal abnormalities
- When the combined screening shows a high or intermediate risk
- When there is a family history of chromosomal anomalies
- When the NT scan shows an increased nuchal translucency measurement or if other markers are seen on scan
- When the patient chooses this as the preferred screening test.
The NIPT test can give either a positive or negative result. A positive NIPT means that there is a very high chance of the baby having a chromosomal problem. A negative NIPT means that there is a very low chance of the baby having a chromosomal problem.
The NIPT results can take up to 14 working days and occasionally, may not have any results at all (no call). In some cases, a repeat sample may be required for testing (redraw). If any of this happens, the Consultant will inform the patient and discuss this in detail and if need be offer an invasive test.
Invasive tests (CVS / Amniocentesis)
Invasive tests (chorionic villous sampling [CVS]/amniocentesis) are diagnostic tests that can be done to confirm whether the fetus is actually affected. This is the only way to reliably ascertain whether the baby is affected by the chromosomal abnormality.
In these tests, a sample (placental tissue or amniotic fluid) is taken from the pregnancy and sent to the genetic laboratory for analysis. A rapid result is obtained in 3-7 working days. It is a reliable report and highlights details of only a few chromosomes. This is followed by a detailed report called a full karyotype that is obtained after the sample is cultured. The full culture report takes 14-21 days. These tests are invasive in nature and carry a small risk of miscarriage (1-2/1000), associated with the procedure, even in the best of trained hands. Hence, the decision to choose this test is made after careful evaluation and discussion. However, recent studies did not find any excess risk after CVS as compared with not having any procedure at all.
To book an appointment with us for NIPT testing, please call 800 1999