Almost every woman wants to experience maternal feelings, give her love and care to her baby. A future mother should not only monitor her health, adhere to proper nutrition and avoid any stressful situations, but also periodically undergo a medical examination. This is necessary in order to verify the normal growth and development of the fetus. Timely diagnosis of any pathologies and diseases will immediately begin treatment and avoid many serious problems.
Today, there are many different laboratory research methods, one of which is the non-invasive prenatal test. Reviews of qualified specialists about him indicate high accuracy and informativeness, however, women are very reluctant to go at it. This is due not only to psychological pressure, but also to injuries, because during the examination, the future mother is pierced with a special device. Let's find out if you really need to be afraid of this test, what is its essence and where is it best to take an examination.
general information
Among experts, the reviews of the non-invasive prenatal DNA test are mostly positive, but among the average citizen who is far from medicine, he causes not only bewilderment, but also alarm. This is not surprising, because this technique is relatively new, so there is little information about it in the public domain. This type of research was invented by American experts, and in Russia it began to be practiced only a few years ago.
The procedure involves a certain risk. When carrying out it, there is a chance of infection and water discharge, which is fraught with premature miscarriage. However, it allows the early detection of a huge number of pathologies. Based on the results of the analyzes, one can judge the state of health and the level of development of the baby.
Risk groups
This aspect should be given special significance. A non-invasive prenatal test (reviews of patients and doctors will be presented at the end of the article) is recommended if one of the parents has hereditary genetic pathologies. Inspection can pass everyone. To do this, you need to have a referral from a doctor. But there is a category of pregnant women, located at an increased risk group, for which diagnosis is very important. These include women in childbirth in whom the pregnancy is not normal, resulting in an increased likelihood of developing the following health problems in the baby:
- trisomy on chromosome 13;
- Y chromosome dysomy syndrome;
- anaphase lag;
- polyploidization;
- Klinefelter's syndrome;
- chromosome nondisjunction;
- Edwards syndrome and many others.
Reviews of a non-invasive prenatal test by qualified professionals claim that it is a good alternative to other more radical laboratory research methods. After passing it, pregnant women may not worry about the health status of their baby.
Contraindications
Any research method may not be prescribed to all patients. As for NIPT, it is not performed during the first nine weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that doctors simply will not be able to take material for analysis. If we talk about contraindications, then they are practically nonexistent. But doctors do not prescribe a test for multiple pregnancy. In this case, you need to examine each embryo separately, which is quite problematic.
Conducting research
So what do you need to know about this? According to reviews, a non-invasive prenatal test is performed without prior preparation. The expectant mother simply makes an appointment and arrives at the selected clinic on the appointed day and time. Blood is taken from the patient, after which the cells are divided into maternal and pediatric, and testing is performed. It is based on the use of complex mathematical algorithms that make it possible to determine the presence of a particular pathology with an accuracy of one hundredth of a percent. In addition, it can be used to determine the gender of the child, as well as the blood group and the Rh factor. The test results, as a rule, are ready for 10-14 days, but here it all depends on the method used. If the test fails, then a second puncture may be required, but in practice this happens extremely rarely.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Non-invasive prenatal test (reviews about the procedure are mostly positive) has certain pros and cons. Among the strengths of this method are:
- high accuracy;
- the ability to identify any pathologies in the early stages of fetal development;
- getting a detailed picture about the baby’s health status.
Unfortunately, there were some minuses as well. The main one is the high cost of diagnosis. The cost of the procedure varies from 25 to 60 thousand rubles. In addition, it is quite problematic to find a clinic that provides such services. Today, not all perinatal centers and genetic laboratories are equipped with all necessary equipment. When choosing a medical institution for passage, one should be very careful, since in recent years many scammers have divorced.
Types of NIPT
Let's look at what they are and what is their feature? There are about 10 methods of non-invasive prenatal tests, each of which is based on different algorithms for diagnosing genetic abnormalities of the fetus. Regardless of this, the accuracy of the analyzes for all methods is approximately the same. The most common are the following types of NIPT:
- Panorama is one of the most expensive tests, the cost of which starts at 35,000 rubles. Its main advantage is that it allows you to monitor the course of pregnancy and assess the condition of the fetus, the conception of which was carried out artificially. In addition, this method has high accuracy.
- "Prenetics" - the most popular type of test, with an affordable price. However, its effectiveness in comparison with the "Panorama" is not lower.
- "Veracity" - a technique used to examine babies with multiple pregnancies.
- "DOT test" is not so widespread in our country, but it is widely practiced in foreign clinics. Allows with high accuracy to detect many genetic pathologies in the early stages.
We sorted out the main types of NIPT. But as mentioned earlier, it is very difficult to find a clinic where you can be examined, and in Russia there are quite a lot of fraudulent organizations. So that you do not get into their networks, let's look at institutions that have long been working in this field, as well as those that enjoy great consumer confidence.
Laboratory of molecular pathology "Genomed"
This genetic center provides a wide range of services for diagnosing developmental problems of children at all stages of pregnancy. A non-invasive prenatal test in Genome (reviews of the clinic note the high professionalism of the staff) appeared several years ago, so we can say with confidence that the clinic is a pioneer in this area in our country. Anyone can take the examination.
It is carried out according to the following scheme:
- Consultation with a gynecologist.
- Blood sampling for tests.
- Material research in the laboratory.
- Disclosure of results with detailed decoding.
Reviews of the non-invasive prenatal test in Genomede are exceptionally positive. According to a huge number of patients, this is the best clinic in Moscow to date. It is equipped with the most modern equipment, and also qualified specialists work in it.
Screening clinic "Prenetics"
It is not difficult to guess from the name, the organization specializes in conducting NAPT tests using the Prenetix method. It has good informational content and allows with an accuracy of 99.9% to identify the following syndromes in a child already at 10 weeks of development:
- Down;
- Shereshevsky-Turner;
- Patau;
- Klinefelter;
- Edwards
- some genetic mutations.
The advantage in favor of undergoing a non-invasive prenatal test in Prenetics (reviews of people fully confirm this) is an affordable price. It is slightly lower compared to other Moscow clinics. You can get a free consultation and make an appointment on the official website of the clinic.
Medical Center "Mother and Child"
Another leading institution specializing in all modern methods of prenatal diagnosis. Why do many people choose this particular center? Its main advantages are modern technical equipment, a high level of qualification of specialists and a loyal pricing policy. The decoding of the test results is carried out by the consilium, which includes distinguished professors and doctors of medical sciences.
In addition to the non-invasive prenatal test in "Mother and Child" (reviews about the center are often positive than negative), you can go through a comprehensive comprehensive examination to prepare for pregnancy. It includes the following:
- general and biochemical blood analysis;
- hormonal research;
- research on hepatitis and HIV;
- blood test for sugar;
- AFP analysis;
- blood test for antibodies and antigens;
- diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus;
- 3D ultrasound.
In addition to screening and planning for pregnancy, the perinatal center provides delivery services. Everything is carried out at a high level and with maximum care for patients. According to patients' reviews, no one has yet regretted contacting the Mother and Child Medical Center.
Private clinic "Miass"
These perinatal centers operate throughout the country. His main specialization is pregnancy planning and diagnosis of childhood diseases. There are several ways to pass a non-invasive prenatal test in Miass (reviews of the medical center indicate a high level of professionalism and a good attitude towards patients). The patient can make an appointment through an online application and personally come to the clinic or order courier delivery of a special kit, with which you can independently select the material for analysis at home. Then he will need to be taken to the center or also order courier delivery.
According to people who used the services of Miass, the perinatal center has many advantages. Among the main ones, the following can be distinguished:
- relatively low prices;
- availability of certificates;
- high accuracy of results;
- anonymity;
- analysis decryption speed.
The conclusion on the non-invasive prenatal test "Panorama" (patient reviews claim that it is completely painless) can be obtained both in the clinic department and order home delivery.
What do experts say about NIPT?
Despite the fact that this technique has appeared in our country relatively recently, nevertheless, today there are already quite a lot of reviews of doctors about non-invasive prenatal test. Most doctors agree that the future of medicine is behind it. With its help, you can identify almost any pathology of fetal development at an early stage and timely proceed to their treatment. Due to this, the birth rate will increase significantly in Russia and the quality of the gene pool will increase. Given all this, there are prerequisites to believe that over time, the opportunity to pass the NIPT test will appear in public hospitals, which will make it more accessible to the population.
What do patients say?
Those who did the non-invasive prenatal test leave reviews mostly positive. Unfortunately, today there are very few of them. This is primarily due to the high cost of the procedure, as well as the limited number of clinics involved in this type of laboratory research. Women who have decided on NIPT claim that it is much better than other examination methods, because it allows you to get full confidence in the normal development and good health of the baby.
Conclusion
As you can see from this article, there is nothing wrong with a non-invasive prenatal test. It is much safer, more accurate and more informative than other laboratory research methods. Therefore, if you want to give birth to a healthy baby, then you should definitely go through it.