Hello I’ve noticed a few threads on here where people are put off having invasive tests such as amniocentesis or CVS and told to have NIPT.
NIPT is a great screening tool, but it is just that. It has severe limitations that many seem blissfully unaware of (practitioners included). Mainly it has only reasonable accuracy in terms of positively predicting Downs Syndrome (around 80% PPV) - and is extremely inaccurate in terms of detecting any other trisomy in terms of PPV. It is based on Cell Free DNA found in the mother’s blood - which inevitably means some guess work and a level of inaccuracy you would not get as often with invasive tests.
Amniocentesis and CVS also have their limitations. However they actually analyse amniocytes and placental tissue directly, which means more accuracy. Plus an ability to analyse for a whole host of conditions NIPT cannot.
Factor in that miscarriage risk cited much of the time is based on dated literature and technology - the risks seem wildly overstated. obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/uog.20353
It is personal preference what people feel comfortable with, I just felt it was important to say that judging parents to be and guilt -tripping, especially based on misinformation, is unhelpful. No test is perfect, each has there own place in different contexts and for different people.
Rant over!
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Antenatal tests
Amniocentesis scaremongering/shaming
32 replies
SarahD19 · 27/03/2021 08:53
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