Non Invasive prenatal test (NIPT-Harmony)
NIPT is a screening test performed on a blood draw taken after 10weeks pregnancy and specifically screens for the common trisomies Trisomy 21, 18 and 13….more
Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes which are DNA strands carrying genes. A trisomy occurs when there is an extra copy resulting in three chromosomes. These common occur at position 21 (Down’s syndrome) 18 and 13.
All of these trisomy result in a range of abnormalities many of which are not compatible with life.
This test has a detection rate of greater than 99% with a false positive rate for Trisomy 21 of less than 0.1% and for all trisomies combined a false positive rate of 0.15%
Genetic counselling is available for general questions or more specific questions regarding famial traits and inherited conditions through referral to the Genetics Dept at BC Women’s Hospital