Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a screening test that identifies women who are more likely to be carrying a fetus with certain birth defects. NIPT is done by taking a blood sample when a woman is 10 weeks or later in pregnancy. The test looks at tiny fragments of fetal DNA found naturally in a pregnant woman's blood. This screening test is sometimes called cell-free fetal DNA testing. NIPT is routinely offered to women who have a higher chance for chromosome conditions including:
- Women 35 or older on their due date
- Women who have a screen positive result from the California State Prenatal Screening Program
- Women who had a previous child with a chromosome condition
NIPT screens for select chromosome conditions, including: Down syndrome, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, XXX syndrome, and XYY syndrome.
Last reviewed: April 2020
Reviewed by: Kimberly Barr, LCGC Kaiser Permanente NCAL Regional Genetics