NIPT, or Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing is a screening that will determine the risk that your baby will be born with a genetic abnormality, such as down syndrome. As with other screenings, Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing does that provide a definitive answer of whether the baby will be born with a genetic condition or not.
NIPT will analyze fragments of the Baby’s DNA, which can be found circulating in a pregnant person’s blood. DNA is found within cells, which when break down, release DNA into the bloodstream. This DNA that is released into the bloodstream is called cfDNA (Cell-Free DNA).
How is NIPT preformed?
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing is done at your healthcare professional’s office, with a quick and simple blood draw from a vein in your arm. Blood is collected in a vial and sent to be analyzed by a lab. The screening is non-invasive, meaning there is no risk to the baby and very little risk for the surrogate.
The earliest that NIPT can be done is after the first nine weeks of pregnancy and can be done as late as right up to delivery.
Results of the NIPT
When receiving results from your NIPT, here is what you should expect.
Positive Result – A positive result confirms a higher risk of a genetic condition. It is very likely that the healthcare professionals on your case will suggest further testing, such as CVS or Amniocentesis.
Negative Result – A negative result confirms a low risk of a genetic condition. The healthcare professionals on your case might suggest further testing if there are known cases of genetic conditions in your family history.
Inconclusive – This means there is not enough DNA fragments from the Baby’s blood in the Surrogate’s blood.
In rare cases, Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing results can show an increased risk when the fetus is unaffected, or the results indicate a decreased risk when the fetus is affected. These results are referred to as a false positive and a false negative. The NIPT analyzes the surrogate’s blood for cfDNA from the fetus, but in some cases the test will detect a genetic condition in the surrogate, mistaking it for the fetus’ genetic markers.
NIPT can provide helpful screening results that will give a better plan of action for those dealing with genetic abnormalities in surrogacy journey. To find out if NIPT testing will be beneficial in your surrogacy case, please talk with our team at Love & Kindness. Your surrogacy team is here to help you with these decisions! Every surrogacy journey is unique and our team will help you make the right decisions for your specific journey.