Almost every woman wants to experience maternal feelings, give her love and care to the baby. The expectant mother should not only monitor her he alth, adhere to proper nutrition and avoid any stressful situations, but also periodically undergo an examination by a doctor. This is necessary in order to ensure the normal growth and development of the fetus. Timely diagnosis of any pathologies and diseases will allow you to immediately begin treatment and avoid many serious problems.
Today there are many different methods of laboratory research, one of which is a non-invasive prenatal test. Reviews of qualified specialists about him note high accuracy and informativeness, however, women are very reluctant to go for him. This is due not only to psychological pressure, but also to injuries, because during the examination, the expectant mother is pierced with a walluterus with a special device. Let's find out if you really should be afraid of this test, what is its essence and where is the best place to take an examination.
General information
Among specialists, reviews of the non-invasive prenatal DNA test are mostly positive, but for the average citizen, far from medicine, it causes not only bewilderment, but also anxiety. 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 specialists, and in Russia it began to be practiced only a few years ago.
The procedure involves some risk. When it is carried out, there is a possibility of infection and discharge of water, which is fraught with premature miscarriage. However, it allows early detection of a huge number of pathologies. Based on the results of the tests, one can judge the state of he alth and the level of development of the baby.
Risk groups
This aspect should be given special attention. A non-invasive prenatal test (reviews from patients and doctors will be presented at the end of the article) is recommended if one of the parents has hereditary genetic pathologies. Anyone can take the test. To do this, you need to have a referral from a doctor. But there is a category of pregnant women who are in an increased risk group, for whom diagnosis is very important. These include women in labor whose pregnancy is not normal, resulting in increasedyour baby is likely to develop the following he alth problems:
- trisomy on chromosome 13;
- Y disomy syndrome;
- anaphase lag;
- polyploidization;
- Klinefelter syndrome;
- nondisjunction of chromosomes;
- Edwards syndrome and many others.
Reviews of the non-invasive prenatal test by qualified professionals claim that it is a good alternative to other more radical laboratory methods. After passing it, pregnant women can not worry about the he alth of their baby.
Contraindications
Any research method may not be suitable for 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 there are practically none. But doctors do not prescribe a test for multiple pregnancies. In this case, it is necessary to examine each embryo separately, which is rather 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 comes to the selected clinic on the appointed day and time. Blood is taken from the patient, after which the cells are divided into maternal and child cells, and testing is carried out. It is based on the use of complex mathematical algorithms that allowto 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 sex of the child, as well as blood type and Rh factor. The results of the analyzes, as a rule, are ready already for 10-14 days, but here everything 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 take a closer look at this. A non-invasive prenatal test (reviews about the procedure are mostly positive) has certain pros and cons. Among the strengths of this method are:
- high precision;
- the ability to detect any pathologies in the early stages of fetal development;
- getting a detailed picture of your baby's he alth.
Unfortunately, there were also some disadvantages. The main one is the high cost of diagnostics. 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. To date, not all perinatal centers and genetic laboratories are equipped with all the necessary equipment. When choosing a medical institution for passing, you should be very careful, because a lot of scammers have recently divorced.
Types of NIPT
Let's look at what they are and what makes them special? There are about 10 methods of non-invasive prenatal testing, each of which is based onvarious algorithms for diagnosing genetic abnormalities in fetal development. Regardless of this, the accuracy of the analyzes for all methods is approximately the same. The most common types of NIPT are:
- "Panorama" is one of the most expensive tests, the cost of which starts from 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.
- "Prenetiks" - the most popular type of test, which has an affordable price. However, its effectiveness compared to "Panorama" is no less.
- "Veracity" is 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 high accuracy to detect many genetic pathologies at an early stage.
We have covered the main types of NIPT. But as mentioned earlier, it is very difficult to find a clinic where you can get an examination, and there are quite a lot of fraudulent organizations in Russia. Lest you fall into their trap, let's take a look at institutions that have been in the industry for a long time and are highly trusted by consumers.
Laboratory of Molecular Pathology "Genomed"
This genetic centerprovides a wide range of services for diagnosing developmental problems in children at all stages of pregnancy. A non-invasive prenatal test at Genomed (reviews about the polyclinic note the high professionalism of the staff) appeared several years ago, so we can say with confidence that the polyclinic 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.
- Research of the material in the laboratory.
- Providing results with a detailed transcript.
Reviews of the non-invasive prenatal test in "Genomed" are extremely positive. According to a huge number of patients, this is the best clinic in Moscow today. It is equipped with the most modern equipment, as well as qualified specialists.
Prenetix Screening Clinic
As you might guess from the name, the organization specializes in conducting NAPT tests using the Prenetix method. It has good information content and allows with an accuracy of 99.9% to identify the following syndromes in a child already at the 10th week of development:
- Duna;
- Shereshevsky-Turner;
- Patau;
- Klinefelter;
- Edwards;
- some genetic mutations.
The advantage in favor of passing a non-invasive prenatal test at Prenetix (people's reviews fully confirm this) is an affordable price. She's a little lowercompared to other Moscow clinics. You can get a free consultation and make an appointment on the official website of the clinic.
Mother and Child Medical Center
Another leading institution specializing in all modern methods of prenatal diagnosis. Why do so many people choose this center? Its main advantages are modern technical equipment, a high level of qualification of specialists and a loyal pricing policy. The interpretation of the results of the analyzes is carried out by a council, which includes honored professors and doctors of medical sciences.
In addition to the non-invasive prenatal test at "Mother and Child" (reviews about the center are more often positive than negative), you can undergo a complete comprehensive examination in preparation for pregnancy. It includes the following:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- hormonal study;
- hepatitis and HIV testing;
- blood sugar test;
- AFP analysis;
- blood test for antibodies and antigens;
- diagnosis for chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus;
- 3D ultrasound.
In addition to examination and pregnancy planning, the perinatal center provides delivery services. Everything is carried out at a high level and with maximum care for patients. According to patient reviews, no one has yet regretted contacting the Mother and Child Medical Center.
Private clinic"Miass"
These perinatal centers operate throughout the country. The main specialization is pregnancy planning and diagnosis of childhood diseases. There are several ways to pass a non-invasive prenatal test in Miass (reviews about 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 take material for analysis at home. Then it will need to be taken to the center or also ordered by courier delivery.
According to people who used the services of "Miass", the perinatal center has many advantages. Among the main ones are the following:
- relatively low prices;
- availability of certificates;
- high accuracy of results;
- anonymity;
- speed of analysis decoding.
Conclusion on the non-invasive prenatal test "Panorama" (patients say that it is completely painless) can be obtained both at the clinic department and ordered home delivery.
What do experts say about NIPT?
Despite the fact that this technique appeared in our country relatively recently, nevertheless, today there are already quite a lot of doctors' reviews about the non-invasive prenatal test. Most doctors agree on what is behind itthe future of medicine. With its help, you can identify almost any pathology of fetal development at the earliest possible time and start their treatment in a timely manner. Thanks to this, the birth rate will increase significantly in Russia and the quality of the gene pool will increase. Given all this, there are reasons to believe that over time, the possibility of taking the NIPT test will also appear in public hospitals, which will make it more accessible to the population.
What are patients saying?
Those who did a non-invasive prenatal test leave mostly positive reviews. Unfortunately, there are very few of them today. 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, since it allows you to get complete confidence in the normal development and good he alth 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 he althy child, then you should definitely go through it.
