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Antenatal tests

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Original poster

Harmony prenatal test - anyone know about it

830 replies

RTchoke · 29/10/2012 05:41

today I am having a new kind of prenatal test called Harmony. It's non-invasive and seems to just be a new kind of blood test plus the regular nuchal scan but it's much more accurate than the traditional nuchal blood test. Apparently it's nearly as accurate as a CVS but without any risk.

I'm the only person I know who is having this test and nobody else seems to have heard of it let alone have been offered it. I just wondered if others have and knowledge of it and how accurate it is.

OP posts:
twiglet2 · 27/05/2014 14:24

I'm having the NIPT test this thursday - my combined nuchal result was 1:680, which is low risk, but my local NHS trust are trialing the test on ladies with results of less than 1:1000 with a view to possibly rolling it out at a later point, so hopefully by taking part this will help other couples in the future. I just wondered, is there a difference between this and the harmony test? and are the results expressed in a similar way to those from the combined nuchal test e.g. 1:1000?

weeonion · 27/05/2014 14:44

twiglet - with the NHS i got a basic letter which just said low risk. I had to ring them up to find out what the stat was. 1:1000

I had a combined test also done privately as i knew they were much more detailed in the scan and also took measurements from nasal bone and soft tissue - I got a 1:1600 from this.

I also had the harmony test at Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine ( I know alot on this thread have been to the FMC). I got a much lengthier report which detailed the blood work and also have me the stat of less than 1:10000.

I am sorry i cant give much info on the NIPT - hopefully someone will be along who can!

Arianna79 · 29/05/2014 12:03

Dears, do anybody have any information on false negative results?

1hope82 · 29/05/2014 15:21

Hi ladies, I had my phone call from the FMC after 12 days of horrendous waiting but got the all clear... 1 in 10,000. So my risk has gone from 1 in 55 to 1 in 1200ish, to 1 in 10,000! I'm so relieved and so thankful to God that my prayers were answered. Still feeling emotional about it all but hoping I can start connecting with this pregnancy now as it feels as though I've blocked out there's actually a baby in there! We think it's been a very very good use of £500 (that we haven't really got!) In hindsight we wish we had never had the NHS screening at all and hadn't had to deal with the NHS screening midwife! The FMC have been amazing, so helpful when I phoned them with further questions. Also, I can recommend ARC who I also phoned in my wait for harmony results who were reassuring and helped explain the confusing 'false positive' statistics! Online, they seem to class NIPT and harmony the same, its just that NIPT gets sent to China I think. I found one website with examples of result letters from both as they are expressed differently xxx

1hope82 · 29/05/2014 15:33

Oh sorry, I misunderstood a word in a previous post. I thought, from what my screening midwife told me, NIPT was the term used for the type of test that has been renamed Harmony or NIFTY by different companies xx

Messygirl · 29/05/2014 20:05

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diege · 29/05/2014 20:59

I've been checking back too! Great news hope and here's to a very boring and uneventful rest of your pregnancy! FWIW I was so impressed with the FMC that I had my 20 weeks scan there too after having bad scan experiences in the NHS with past pregnancies - again, totally worth the money!

oldermummy2B · 05/06/2014 13:40

Can anyone who had a Harmony test at Spire in Bristol tell me how long they had to wait for results.

I had the test on Wed 21st but had to have my bloods taken again on the Thursday which they were sending off on Friday. Will I get the results tomorrow or next week.

I really can't concentrate on anything else after have a 1:21 for downs (older mummy at 37).

Please help

sweetmelody · 06/06/2014 06:31

Hello - can anyone tell me where I can get the NIFTY test if I am Herts based? I know that This is my have a clinic in Mayfair on Sundays, but no clinic this Sunday and I have been trying to get tested before next weekend (long story). Hope someone can help!

Messygirl · 06/06/2014 06:53

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sweetmelody · 06/06/2014 09:39

I have and I work in the next street so convenient. But was trying to save myself some money as the nifty test seems quite a bit cheaper

Arianna79 · 19/06/2014 08:59

Hi ladies, it is interesting to see the statisctis on babies born..if the test was correct..

CrispyFB · 19/06/2014 13:13

I had a 1 in 5 result with the FMC from the NT screening, but thankfully they'd given me my Harmony results (negative) before scanning so the information was outdated when I got it. BUT - it was nice to know all the same - the "worry" bullet I'd dodged by doing Harmony in advance which made me feel good about the money I'd spent on Harmony. Jersey37 - how rude of that sonographer. It's your right to that information.

DC4 was born three months ago and has typical chromosomes as far as we can tell right now! So Harmony was correct even though the NT screening result was so risky (combination of borderline NT 2.7mm, and sky high bHCG 5.43MoM and my age at 37).

Arianna79 · 20/06/2014 16:02

That is so cool the baby is alright! I wish about that also..

Messygirl · 21/06/2014 08:35

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BeginnerSAHM · 21/06/2014 19:14

Hello - not sure if this has been said already by if your triple test (standard nhs 12 week scan test based on age, blood and nuchal fold) gives you odds of higher than 1/2500, King's College London are offering harmony test as part of a research project. Currently waiting for results - due in 10 days - even though I was 'low risk', it still came out with a higher risk than 1/2500. I'm 39 so think I couldn't have had a lower risk than 1/2500. (Not sure though...)

Daisybell1 · 22/06/2014 19:04

Sorry if this is being asked numerous times but which clinics offer the harmony test? I'm only 4+6 but after 3 previous mcs I'm extremely nervous.

I'm in North west England but don't mind travelling, I'm also under the care of St Marys Paddington so travelling to London frequently.

I presume the kings college study is only for their patients?

Thank you!

Messygirl · 22/06/2014 19:15

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BeginnerSAHM · 22/06/2014 20:59

Hi daisybell - yes, it's just a king's thing for women having babies there (nhs) I think. But you can pay for it privately if you like. I think you can have it done at 9 weeks too so get the results before the 12 week scan. Good luck. Hope you have a healthy sticky one this time.

Daisybell1 · 22/06/2014 21:33

Thanks both, have found the FMC and am trying to google for the others. Slightly worried by what is a reputable clinic and what is not, but I'm sure I'll find my way through the listings.

Thanks again

Daisybell1 · 22/06/2014 21:33

PS Madrigals - just seen you're waiting for results - good luck!

BeginnerSAHM · 22/06/2014 21:44

Daisybell - think the fmc is professor nicolaides if you want to google him. He's definitely the leading (or one of the leading) doctors for antenatal testing. The blood test is sent off to a lab in California so they do all the testing - the people in the uk just take the blood.

Daisybell1 · 23/06/2014 06:40

Thank you SAHM, chatted to OH last night and he's agreed to go for the FMC, partly because of the special offer, but mainly because of the experience they have.

Thank you for your help

PresidentSpreadable · 23/06/2014 12:43

I had my Harmony test at the FMC last week Daisy, they are lovely. I had a nice detailed mini-anomaly scan as part of the package. Good luck.

LucyB60 · 24/06/2014 11:47

I joined Mumsnet mainly to add to this post because it was so helpful to me when I needed it, so hope to provide some reassurance to others.
We had a 1/304 risk combined test result from the NHS (so not NHS 'high risk' but not great either). We just got the result, so no info on what went into that result, although we knew the nuchal was ok from the scan.
After some internet research I found out about the option of the harmony test, read this whole thread (!) and we decided to do it. I went to the FMC - we don't live in London but were going for a few days anyway and they fitted me in. Had the combined test again, this time resulting in 1/3200 result and found that my blood results (high HCG, but also higher Papp-A) may have been the issue. The scan there is very detailed with more factors taken into account, like nasal bone and blood flow etc, which I guess is what makes the difference.
The wait is stressful, but today the results came back (after 11 days, so earlier than expected) and we got a low risk 1/10,000 result. So, so happy obviously! If anyone out there is thinking of having harmony test, and you can find the money for it, then I would say go for it. The FMC were great too - very friendly and professional - so on the basis of my experience I would recommend. Good luck and best wishes to anyone waiting for results xx