NIPT Test at home In Dubai
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is a test to figure out the possibility of the foetus to be born with certain genetic abnormalities. This testing analyses trifling fragments of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) that are circulating in a pregnant woman’s blood, freely.
Health Express has developed expertise in testing blood samples of pregnant women, over the years, and we recruit trained personnel to get to your home, office or hotel, with up-to-date equipment, to collect blood samples. Therefore, you don’t have to deal with the hassles of bringing a pregnant woman to our labs, making way through the traffic. Or, if you are short on time, or do not have exemption from office, you just have to call us and fix up an appointment, to get the blood sample collected from a place and time that suits you.
The Test
Unlike typical DNA, the above mentioned fragments of DNA are floating freely in the blood, outside a cell’s nucleus, and so are called cell-free DNA (cfDNA). These small fragments of cfDNA, generally contain fewer base pairs, and are not contained within a cell. These cfDNA come into existence, when cells die off and get broken down. As a result of this breakage, the cfDNA gets released into the blood. Testing the constitution of cfDNA present in blood samples, by analysing the blood of a pregnant woman, indicates the foetus to be highly probable of developing in a disabled child. The logic behind this testing is that the blood of a pregnant woman also contains cfDNA released from cells of placenta, and placenta is the tissue in the uterus of the pregnant, where the foetus grows. NIPT measures the volume of foetal cfDNA present in pregnant woman’s bloodstream, which comes from the placenta. This is called the foetal fraction.
NIPT is considered non-invasive, because it requires collecting blood sample from a pregnant woman, and does not pose any threat to the foetus. NIPT is a screening test, which means that it does not give a conclusive answer as to, whether or not a foetus has a genetic imperfection. The test only helps in ascertaining, whether the risk of having certain genetic condition is increased or decreased. In some cases, NIPT report points to an increased risk for a genetic abnormality, even when the foetus is actually not prone to develop any deformity (false positive), or conversely, the report may indicate a decreased risk of drawing a genetic defect, while it is actually the contrary (false negative). Because, the result of an NIPT, depends mostly on the number of foetal cfDNA in mother’s bloodstream, that is higher the density of foetal cfDNA in mother’s blood more reliable the report of NIPT becomes.
Must know
The share of cfDNA in maternal blood that comes from the placenta, is the foetal fraction. Generally, this fraction must be above 4 per cent, so as to increase the possibility of the result of NIPT to be highly reliable. The required level of four per cent, is typically attained around the tenth week of pregnancy. Low foetal fractions may usually lead to a false negative result.
A positive screening result indicates that further diagnostic testing needs to be performed to confirm any genetic defect in the foetus. Health Express gives you a dependable report of a comprehensive NIPT. A report that will assist your doctor in chalking out the course ahead!
