NIFTY: Non Invasive Prenatal Testing

The NIFTY test is a non-invasive prenatal test (commonly termed an NIPT) that screens for Down Syndrome and certain other genetic conditions caused by extra or missing genetic information in the baby’s DNA.

NIFTY involves a single blood test from the mother and can be performed from as early as week 10 of pregnancy. Results are available within 10 working days.

NIFTY offers higher rates of accuracy than traditional screening tests and, unlike invasive procedures such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), poses no miscarriage risk to the mother or baby.

What does NIFTY screen for?

NIFTY screens for the three most common trisomies present at birth which are Down Syndrome (an extra 21 chromosome) , Edwards Syndrome (an extra 18 chromosome) and Patau Syndrome (an extra 13 chromosome). Independent validation studies, including the world’s largest study on the use of NIPT in clinical practice in nearly 147,000 women, have shown NIFTY has an accuracy rate of over 99% for detection of these conditions.

It is also possible to test for three common trisomies in twin pregnancies as well.

• Maternal age 35 years or older at delivery
• Contraindications for invasive prenatal testing, such as placenta praevia, risk of miscarriage or HBV infection
• Fetal ultrasonographic findings indicating an increased risk of aneuploidy
• History of a prior pregnancy with a trisomy
• Require reassurance following previous screening result
• Parental balanced robertsonian translocation with increased risk of fetal trisomy 13 or trisomy 21
• Received IVF Treatment or have previously suffered from habitual abortion