Harmony prenatal test - anyone know about it

[RTchoke]

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.

We also got our results back today, and were also low risk 1:10,000. Very impressed that we got the results back in a week.

Hi everyone, hoping for a little bit of advice. I'm booked in for harmony testing when by my dates I'll be exactly 10 weeks pregnant (21st July). Is this the earliest point they do it? Its not a local hospital for us and would hate to get there for them to say it is actually too early (although I did mention to the geneticist who arranged booking and she said from 10 weeks......). Just seems very early ???? Is a scan a routine part of the testing too? I'm going to the RVI at Newcastle and can't remember from previously if there scanning equipment was more advanced than most nhs hospitals. Basically wondering if at 10 weeks they would pick up a high nuccal fold measurement. At our local hospital they only take this measurement from 11+2 but not sure if would be different if using more advanced scanning equipment.

Thanks Madrigals - reassured to know the timing of my test is ok. I suspect you're probably right too about getting a nuchal fold measurement only from 11 weeks +. A high nuchal fold measurement was the first indicator for us last time that something was wrong so was hoping that if it looked ok at 10 weeks maybe it was a very good sign all was ok???? 3 weeks and 4 days to go.......

Gosh - well, got my harmony results today, only 8 days after the 12 week scan and blood was taken. All good - 1/10000 of chromosomal abnormalities. V pleased. Wasn't expecting to hear before next Wednesday really... (King's NHS - part of big research study as combine test gave me odds of higher than 1/2500 so they automatically offer the test. I was low risk, 1/1200 after combined test but high enough to trigger the harmony test if I wanted it.) Hope everybody else is doing ok.

Hi BeginnerSAHM - great to you only had to wait 8 days.i had my scan wednesday at Kings and results came back 1/298, which i thought was quite good but perhaps not so much. not looking forward to having to wait 2 weeks so hopefully i can get mine before next weekend as well! Did they give your separate results?they told me on nuchal fluid alone, at 3.1mm and at 29 years old, my risk was 1/43 but my bloods were much better which pushed it to 1/298. I never thought id be at risk, now i cant help feeling i am going to be that 1 person with a problem

Hi Trying. That's still now 'high enough' risk for the doctors to suggest a CVS or amnio so try not to worry... They did tell me at King's that it would take 2 weeks. I have a friend who is over 36 and pregnant as well who also had the test an she tipped me off that the results often come quicker. Try not to expect them to though!! The blood does have to reach California and then they do whatever they do with centrifuges and studs (?) so I thought 8 days was amazing (and probably unusually fast). Good to hear your blood results were optimistic. Will cross my fingers for you

Blinking iPhone - I mean NOT high enough risk... Sorry

Oh, and, they have me 1/10000 for all 3 syndromes. They just said for Down's syndrome on the phone but I asked about the other two and they said it was the same.

thank you for your advice! haha yes i thought u meant not high enough risk, their term was intermediate risk. congratulations on your results. heres to a less stressful pregnancy!

Had nt scan and blood work, came back 1:7500 chance! Felt great ! Went in for anatomy scan, they found 2 soft markers... Extra fluid on kidney and short femur had follow up ultrasounds and still a little extra fluid around kidney but femur caught up and everything else was good.. So had harmony test : came back less 1:10000 chance .... I'm still stressing !! Help please,

I keep thinking he has DS after 2 low risk blood work and now only thing on ultra sound is the kidney . I hate feeling like this .

i just wanted to come back and say i got my harmony test results today and i am 1:10000 risk for downs. Really pleased with this, and its a massive weight off my mind!! nearly the full two weeks wait, and its been tough!!

Hi trying! Really pleased to hear it. Guess the lab must have been busier or you hit Independence Day?!

Afraid I can't offer much more reassurance momof but I don't know of a harmony test being wrong. Statistically, you have a lower than 1/10000 chance of chromosomal abnormalities. That is an extremely high level of certainty (according to my rudimentary knowledge of statistics used to disprove null hypotheses at uni...!). I'd talk to a midwife or ask to see a doctor from the antenatal unit if you are still worried about the soft markers. Think they are called 'soft' though as they aren't diagnostically sound on their own. Hope you're feeling a bit better by now...

i think i had to wait longer because the whole of kings department was shut last week for a world congres research event that they were all presenting at. anyway im jsut glad to have them now, and my whole family are over the moon.

Hi all, I've been reading this thread all evening...I'm 7 weeks pregnant and went to see my gp on Tuesday, after taking clear blue test which was positive. I've asked him about the risk, especially as I'm 39, first pregnancy and he just said, let's treat it as normal pregnancy. He said that he will contact the hospital and they will arrange a 12w scan..that's it. No blood test etc...how do I find out what is my risk factor, especially re. Downs...I guess high coz my age..isn't it too late to wait only for 12w scan? Apologies if I'm asking silly questions...just confused..should I have some other test? Should I book myself at the fmc clinic and have tests done there? Any response would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I have been reading this thread with interest and wanted to add my story.
I am currently 17 weeks pregnant.

My initial nuchal scan was at 13+6 by dates, the scan dated me as 14+2 and therefore I did not qualify for the combined nuchal test. We were offered the quadruple test as an alternative Down's Syndrome screen. We weren't really given a whole lot of time to consider this and so just agreed as it seemed like the done thing.

A week later I received a phone call saying that my Down's syndrome risk was 1:5. It was pretty devastating news, I'm a medic myself and this risk seemed extremely high.

The midwives at my local hospital mentioned the Harmony test to me and I had heard of it before as a friend of mine had recently had it done.

I went along to the FMC and had an early anomaly scan which was extremely reassuring. The doctor who did the scan was so thorough and really put a lot of our fears to rest. It was a much more hi tech and detailed scan than we had on the NHS.

I had the Harmony test but because the scan had been so reassuring the 2 week wait for results was not too horrendous.

I found out today that my risk is low 1:10,000. This is a massive relief to me and my husband.

We have decided that the Harmony test is a must for all future pregnancies and I would highly recommend the service at the FMC. The total cost of the scan + Harmony test was £500, but in return we have got peace of mind on which I cannot put a price!

I hope my story can be of reassurance to anyone out there reading - as reading the posts on here have really helped me and I hope to return the favour.

Sorry, I didn't get the time to read through this whole thread but for anyone in Ireland who is curious this test can be done in the Irish Maternal Fetal Foundation in Sandyford. Downside is it costs around €800 :(

Based on my history I really needed to find out whether my baby was healthy. Thankfully all turned out ok.

At 12 weeks you will have a nuchal scan and a blood test. I believe the Harmony test can be done from 10 weeks but the results will take 2 weeks to come back.

I wish I knew more about statistics, because I've been going cross-eyed trying to get my head around how the NHS combined and Harmony tests differ where Down's Syndrome is concerned.

As far as I can make out, the Harmony test tells you either that the foetus is almost certain to have Down's (99% or greater), or that there is virtually no risk (0.01% or less). In other words, the risk is very high or very low.

By contrast, the NHS test often seems to produce 'intermediate' results. For instance, we have been given a 1:350 result (approx. 0.3%).

It seems to me that if the Harmony test is able to put the foetus into either a 'very high risk' or 'very low risk' category, it is very close to being a diagnostic test (assuming it gives accurate results).

I wonder if someone on here could confirm whether I've reached the right conclusions? Maybe someone with a head for maths!

Thank you so much.

Hi all

I had a scan last week at 9+5 to check viability as prev MC. Baby was fine, but they suspected high nuchal translucency, but was too early to tell. I had my follow-up scan today (10+4 by dates, 11+3 by scan). Baby measurinh almost 5cm. Got a nuchal translucency measurement of 3.8mm, which apparently is above normal.

Consultant explained things much better this time. Didn't take blood sample for hormone measurement, as they were sure it would come back high risk and I would face the same choice: CVS on the NHS or Harmony scan privately.

The pros and cons as I see them:
CVS: could be done as soon as we decide, result is certain, takes 3 days for results (so if bad outcome termination would be earlier via erpc), but it carries a 1% MC risk
Harmony: non-invasive, so no risk, result 99% certain, but costs £500 and takes 2 weeks (and if bad outcome, need to do CVS anyway and termination might need to be induced birth)...

We're veering towards Harmony because of the MC risk... Anyone else had this choice? appreciate any advice!

Hi, I feel I have to add my story to thread.
I'm 38, bmi 35, and have 3 children. Went for nt & got 2.4mm. Sonographer said all was well and they dated me a week further than I was so I ended up being 13.4 weeks. Had bloods same day. Two days later got call that 1 in 9 chance Down's syndrome. Cried my heart out as this is high!! They told me about harmony so I called them same day and got bloods taken an hour later (lovely people) they done another scan and said all looks great. They said because I suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum that may explain why my HCG was 3.6 mom. My papp was 0.46 mom. That's quite low they said. Took ten days and £500 and got call saying very low risk 1 in over 10,000 ( midwives and dr said this is good.)
Worth every penny. Will I ever get the nt test with bloods again on NHS? Probably not! Please don't stress like I odd and remember some people just have wacky bloods :)

Oh I asked them to not tell me sex (they tipex the gender out on results before sending in post)

Hi, Ive never written on any of these sites before so hopefully I'm doing it right.. I'm just struggling to enjoy my pregnancy because my NT combined tests results came back as high risk 1/81 I'm 38 and this will be my 2nd child (1st perfectly healthy). My bloods were hcg 2.25 and Papp-a 0.9 the NT was measured 2.00 but I was 13 weeks and 3 days when they did this on nhs. I went straight to the FMC in London and had the harmony test and another NT test the harmony test has come back as low risk 1.10,000 but I am still so worried I can't think about anything else.. I am now 17 weeks and 4 days. Do you think I should just trust the test? I never realised how stressful this could all be second time around.. ??