How are results of NIPT given? - May 2019 Babies | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

FAQs

How do I interpret my NIPT results? ›

A positive or high-risk NIPT result means there may be a higher possibility that the fetus has a genetic condition. This can affect its health and development. A negative or low-risk result means a genetic condition may be less likely.

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT)

Panorama™ can be performed as early as nine weeks gestation. Most results will be returned to your doctor within 5-7 calendar days from the date that samples are received.

Low-chance result

A low-chance NIPT result means there's only a very small chance your baby will have one of the conditions: 1 in 1054 women with a low-chance NIPT result will have a baby with Down's syndrome. 1 in 930 women with a low-chance NIPT result will have a baby with Edwards' syndrome.

How is NIPT done? A small amount of blood is taken from a person who is at least 10 weeks pregnant. The blood is sent to a laboratory for testing. The laboratory looks for DNA that has shed off the placenta.

The minimum FF threshold for adequate NIPT performance varies by assay (discussed below), but is typically between 2% and 4%. With a higher FF, there is greater statistical separation of aneuploid and euploid pregnancies, providing greater confidence in the final result (Figure 2).

A low FF may indicate a higher risk of aneuploidy, ranging from 2.7 to 23.3% (10–12). If a sample's FF is below the set threshold, it will be considered a “no-call” result, which typically has a rate of 2–5%.

It takes about 7 to 10 business days for your health-care provider to get the NIPT results. If NIPT was done through LifeLabs, you may be able view your results online within 5 calendar days of the report being released to your health-care provider.

All Clinical Labs' Harmony NIPT testing, including 22q11. 2, is performed in-house at our genetics laboratory, with results available within 5-10 business days.

Step 1 Talk to your doctor about percept NIPT. If appropriate, they will complete a test request form. Step 3 Most results will be available from your doctor within 3-5 working days from the time the lab receives your sample.

Overall, one can expect to get for between 95 and 99% of the women tested with NIPT a negative result. In 1 to 5% the NIPT will be potentially positive and needs to be checked, which is done in the reviewed studies in ~ 90% of the cases.

Can an NIPT test be wrong? ›

Thus, 1 or 2 in 1000 haploid fetuses may have a false positive, and if 100,000 tests are performed, it is estimated that there will be 100 false positive NIPT tests. Technical problems: Like all laboratory tests, rare sample mixing or other technical errors can lead to false-positive (or false-negative) test results.

The test still appears to have a 90-99% detection rate, however, when a test comes back positive/high risk for a low risk woman, the chance that the pregnancy has a chromosome condition is not as high as it is for high risk women. Furthermore, insurance coverage may vary for low risk women.

Step 4: Your NIPT Test Results

Your results will be sent to your healthcare provider in three to five business days. The specialist who analysed your blood sample will provide your healthcare provider with a report outlining your baby's risk for various chromosomal conditions.

The results of NIPT can be back in as little as three days, but it can take up to two weeks in some cases. Generally, you should expect to get the results back within about: 3-10 days for the Harmony test. 3- 10 days for the SAFE test.

If your NIPT result shows that your baby is likely to have a chromosomal difference, a diagnostic test such as: CVS or amniocentesis can confirm the result. You should discuss your options with your doctor, midwife or genetic counsellor.

When interpreting test results, health care providers consider a person's medical history, family history, and the type of genetic test that was done. A positive test result means that the laboratory found a change in a particular gene, chromosome, or protein of interest.

Genetic screening tests measure risk only. They don't tell you for sure if the fetus has a genetic condition. A positive result means the fetus is at a higher risk for that disorder than the general population. A negative result means the fetus is at a lower risk of having that disorder than the general population.