NIPT - yay or nay?

[gigi556]

Currently 6 weeks pregnant with baby #2. Im 38. I'm thinking of getting the Harmony Test because I understand it's more accurate than the NHS screening tests. I don't think it's available on the NHS in my area. I'm planning to ask the midwife about it at my booking appointment. I guess I'm wondering if it's worth waiting to see what the NHS screening tests come back with before doing it or if it's better to just bite the bullet and pay for it straight away. We can afford it but it's also a lot of money for us. I didn't get the harmony screening with my first. I was lucky to have a healthy pregnancy and low chances of problems on my NHS screenings with baby #1. I guess my only concern is that my husband and are both older now. What are the main reasons people get the harmony test? It's a shame the NHS aren't offering as standard. I feel like there isn't a huge amount of information online but maybe I'm not looking in the right place.

I had it with DS. My NHS combined result was low risk but I am a control freak due to anxiety and wanted the (almost) certainty

It cost almost £500 but I'm glad we had it as it gave me peace of mind. We found out he was a boy at 14 weeks as well which was a bonus

I had it with my first - I had high risk and we didn’t want to do any of the invasive tests. We went for it quite late though.

When I was pregnant with my second we booked the tests as soon as possible and we got extra scans alongside it as part of the cost. We went with the fetal medicine centre in London.

Thanks for your responses. Is there an ideal timeframe for the harmony test? I'm in the Leeds/Bradford area and I think there are UltraSound Direct clinics in both city centers. If anyone has any recommendations for a provider in West or North Yorkshire, I'd appreciate it.

@Shantotto I assume the harmony test come back all clear then after the high risk result on the NHS? Does anyone know/understand the difference between how the screenings work?

@gigi556 Yep came back all fine! I believe the difference is the harmony test checks the fetal DNA, the NHS one doesn’t.

I’d book as early as possible as weirdly it was cheaper for us and they did the nuchal scan too. When we went later with my first it was more expensive and we didn’t get the Michal scan as it had already been done!

The earliest they can do the test is at 10 weeks.

The harmony test is more accurate. The NT screening test is less accurate and more likely to give a false positive (high risk) result. Your age alone could be enough to give you a high risk result on the NT screening, which can obviously cause a lot of worry. I was 38 for my last pregnancy, I had the harmony test a couple of days before the NT screening and I'm glad I did as the NT screening came back high risk and put me in a right spin! The harmony test however came back low risk (1:10,000) and confirmed I was having a girl. For me it was money well spent.

I used ultrasound direct - they use a different company, it's future health biobank and their lab is in Italy. Took a week for my results to come back. The accuracy of the test is slightly better than harmony's, and you can also opt for testing of microdeletions as well. I had the basic major chromosome panel plus 6 microdeletions and it cost £645 (Jan 2020). I had it done at ten weeks, no retest was needed and they did a scan as well. Really good experience with it and would recommend.

I didn't have the NHS combined screening after my NIPT, and the hospital advised not to as well.

I've just found online that I can get the Iona test at Leeds Teaching Hospital privately so that looks like a good option. There's so many test brands it's a bit confusing!

Hi @gigi556, I have found out from our area screening midwife that Leeds general infirmary do the IONA, and it’s reasonably priced, she said approx £175.
Your midwife should be able to signpost you to them. Hope this helps xx

@URMysunshine4 that's brilliant information. I have a phone call with my GP this week for my booking appointment referral so I'll ask the midwife as soon as I get to see her.

Hello all. I had the NIPT Harmony test done yesterday at the Birth Company in London. It was pricey (£500) but it included an early scan with lots of lovely photos, videos and other information. I'm 10+5 and almost 37yo. Wanted to do it for peace of mind as this is first baby, and avoid going through the false 'high risk' with the NHS combined test that I've read about online for older mums.

The clinic advised me to still have the nuchal translucency check, but not to have the blood test with the NHS. They said I can just tell them I don't want the blood test when I show up, but wonder if I should let them know in advance?

Anyway, I hope the test goes welll for you OP, I will report back here about how long it takes etc.

I decided to have NIPT before NHS NT scan as I’m 40 and I expected the results to be high due to my age. Used ThisIsMy in Leeds, and it included a scan and photos.

Was glad I did as I discovered at the scan I was having twins, and because it was private DH could attend the scan with me.

We’d originally booked a different NIPT but the sonographer recommended Panorama as it’s more suitable for multiple pregnancies. Any good clinic will be able to assess if there’s a more suitable test for you to have.

I'd definitely recommend NIPT. I had a high risk NHS screening and then had to wait for 2 weeks to wait for the low risk nipt result. The wait was horrendous. Unfortunately the rest of my pregnancy was spent still thinking about the NHS result as I convinved myself that something was wrong. I'm 40 so a high chance result was very likely (but I had no idea about this at the time). The only thing is that by having the nuchal scan it can pick up issues that NIPT can't (like a heart condition) , plus looks at hormones which are indicators or possible problems with the placenta. I had very low papp a which meant I took aspirin throughout the pregnancy, had regular growth scans and a more detailed scan to look at flow of blood through the umbilical cord. If I was to have another baby (which I'm not, 2 is enough!) I would go for NIPT first so I was armed with the results at the 12 week scan but still have the nuchal measurement taken and blood tests. I would then be able to discount any high risk screening as I already have results from a more accurate one. Thankfully my baby is now 8 months old. I had no problems at all throughout the rest of pregnancy and an amazing birth (despite lockdown) but the phonecall and subsequent anxious weeks following the screening will forever stay with me.

Really surprised at the pp who was advised not to have the NHS bloods - low papp A can indicate possible future growth issues with the baby and if it is found at the 12 week test you will usually be referred for further scans. This isn’t checked in the NIPT so I would recommend both.

NIPT mainly tests for the three main trisomies and is very accurate, particularly for Downs, and much more so than the NHS tests. But a high NT can indicate other issues with the baby so IMO it’s worth having both done.

Ah - cross posted with @Liveforholidays who has explained it better!

@FolkSongSweet how funny, we've literally said exactly the same thing!!

@gigi556 Hi, I just wondered if you booked the IONA test and how you did it? I also live in the area but didn’t realise IONA was available privately at the LGI.

Hi @PurpleFlower1983 I'm only 7+3 today. I haven't booked it yet. I was wanting to wait until after my booking appointment with the midwife to book it. I think you have to wait until after 10 weeks to the test anyway. Have you seen this? www.leedsth.nhs.uk/a-z-of-services/leeds-maternity-care/what-we-do/care-during-your-pregnancy/ There seems to be a number to call for more information.