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Original poster

Anyone had the Harmony test? Is it definitely accurate?

42 replies

Worriedthistimearound · 09/10/2013 12:30

Hi, just had a call from the clinic to say my results are 1 in 10000 so a negative result, which I'm obviously thrilled with. She also told me the sex of the baby. She said both the results are 99%+ accurate.

But now I'm off the phone I'm starting to think about it all-probably overthinking.
I had the test at 10+3 so early but not too early. Though because I wasn't yet 11wks I couldn't have a nuchal scan just a dating scan. I'm worried not having an nt scan means something has been missed. I've also read about how there might not be enough Y chromosomes in the maternal blood until 28wks so I'm worried the thrill I'm feeling at carrying a little girl after my boys is misplaced.
DH thinks I'm being ridiculous especially as we paid £750 for this test. He said if there was not enough baby DNA they would have said so and that the Y is a chromosome so if enough to test for trisomy then enough to detect Y. I don't know. I'm worried and wondering if I should hurriedly book an nt scan and also worried I've got my hopes up re the sex.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone else who has had the harmony test especially if the sex has since been confirmed. Thank

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Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 09/10/2013 12:50

Bump

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Stevie77 · 09/10/2013 13:00

I've had both but do t know what to say about your concerns. Maybe call the clinic and speak to them/ask to speak to someone that can explain?

Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 09/10/2013 13:29

Thanks, Stevie77. I did ask about the lack of nt scan and she said there was no need with the harmony. She also said that anything major and obviously structurally wrong that can be picked up in an nt scan would have also been picked up at a 10+3 scan.
She actually advised me not to now book a separate nt scan as she said the odds will almost certainly be worse considering my age (42). So I'm just not sure what to do. I'm also starting to get really excited at the idea of a little girl and I'm worried I shouldn't. I wouldn't have been too upset at another boy but now she's said its a girl I'm so excited.

I've tried googling but not much comes up.

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Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 09/10/2013 15:02

Just bumping for anyone else with experience.

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Lagoonablue · 09/10/2013 15:06

Try the antenatal tests and choices board. Lots of knowledge there.

SoonToBeSix · 09/10/2013 15:08

It will definitely be a girl .

CrispyFB · 09/10/2013 16:18

Well, I certainly hope so as my NT screening was 1 in 5! Like you, apparently a girl, low risk. I had mine done at 10+1.

On your form they give you a percentage of free floating DNA found in your blood. Mine was around 8% or something. I think anything over 4% is what they are looking for or it won't work. So the fact it doesn't work if there's not enough is kind of reassuring - means that they know what is definitely baby and what is definitely the mother.

Harmony is accurate to 1 in 10,000 for a negative result hence the number. So whilst there have been false negatives, I imagine there can't have been many!

I do understand where you are coming from - I have the doubts as well especially as the technology is new. The above is what I tell myself repeatedly! I am hoping I will feel reassured at the anatomy scan.

FraggleRock77 · 09/10/2013 16:45

We went with Harmony after one soft indicator spotted on the 20 wk scan. I've just accepted that the test was accurate. It is still a worry though x

Pentagon · 09/10/2013 16:49

I had the harmony test and to my knowledge:

it is a lot more accurate than the combined screening offered at the NHS. 99.9% versus 94% or something along those lines (these figures may be wrong - forgive me if they are). I've also read that this 0.1% or 0.01% relates to false positives rather than not picking up a problem but don't know how true this is
you weren't early, 10 weeks is perfectly fine for the harmony, it's only the combined test that needs to be performed between 11 and 13 weeks
if there weren't enough fetal blood in your blood they would have been unable to give you a result and would have asked you to go back for another try
it is a DNA test so you are definitely having a girl

Congratulations!

Won't you be having the combined test at the NHS as well? I had both because a) I was curious b) for my peace of mind

Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 09/10/2013 17:06

Thank you so much everyone. It is really useful to hear from people who have had it done. I will accept it as it is. Can't believe I'm having a baby girl. I didn't even realise I wanted one until this morning.

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LightTripper · 09/10/2013 18:20

I had Panorama, which also says 1:10000, just like Harmony. Harmony has actually been around quite a bit longer than Panorama so if you add up all the studies where they checked against amnio/cvs (i.e. Definite) results, I think they have a sample of well over 2000 cases. So there have been a lot of studies to back up the accuracy rates they state!

So yes, there is still a risk. But there are so many risks that kind of size or even a bit bigger that you can't do anything about. So I think for me it's small enough to sleep easy. If you didn't have this to worry about I'm sure you'd find something else. Some of us (me included!) are just natural worriers.

If you like stats they have a summary of all the research on the Providers bit of the Ariosadx website. Personally I found it reassuring, but I know lots of people find all stats panic inducing, so up to you if it's a good idea to look!

katebakes · 10/10/2013 00:06

I know nothing about the harmony test but I'm certain that the technology used to determine gender is accurate. This is in fact not new and has been used for over two decades, just not in this country. A family friend lived in Sudan and had a blood test to determine gender at 7 weeks, twenty five years ago with her daughter and it was accurate.

Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 10/10/2013 15:27

Thanks everyone. As I posted on the harmony thread in The tests and results section, I received an email this morning from a company called nimble diagnostics with whom I took an early gender DNA test about 3wks ago. Well, their test is saying boy so I'm all over the place today. I think their test is called tell me pink or blue or something similar and google is suggesting a few inaccurate results but they all seem to be when they've said girl and it was actually a boy.

CrispyFB, if you're still reading, the % was 6.6% so not high but not too low I presume.
Aargh, not sure I can wait it out for another month for a gender scan.

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CrispyFB · 10/10/2013 16:02

6.6% should be fine!

I just did a quick Google and it seems Nimble Diagnostics are not considered to be that reliable.. It's also known as Tell Me Pink or Blue (TMPOB) as the companies are related (TMPOB sends to Nimble Diagnostics), and that has a lot more bad press. There is loads more out here but as an example here are the Amazon reviews: www.amazon.com/Pink-Blue-Pregnancy-Gender-Collection/product-reviews/B00183UEGS

I would trust the Harmony result every time.

Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 10/10/2013 16:13

Thanks again. I'm really grateful. Although I'm feeling upset about the sex, I'm obviously also worried that if the sex is wrong then the other parts could be too.
I called the lady in London who processes all the results from all the centres and sends them out to Ariosa in the US. They have never had any clinic report back that the sex determination was wrong although she did say the test has only been offering the sex part since April so those women would only be due around now. Though I guess would have had confirmation at their 20wk scan. She has told me to ask my clinic to request a double check which I will do. I am so hoping the result was correct but after just having boys, I'm not ready to completely believe due to this thing this morning. I'm holding on to the fact that statistically, that is more likely to be wrong than the harmony. I will update at 16wks if you are interested.
Thanks again

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CrispyFB · 10/10/2013 20:05

On all the due date forums I've been on, I've never come across Harmony being wrong either. Or any of the "proper" tests (e.g. MaterniT21, Verifi, Panorama) They're reputable labs with a lot of backing from the medical scientific community. Unlike Nimble Diagnostics.. who interestingly only offer 95% accuracy in their literature. If they were truly able to look at the free fetal DNA, surely it would be 99.9% as with the other ones?

I'm sorry this other company has left you with such uncertainty! Do keep us updated when you find out about your little girl at 16 weeks :-) (although I should say that DD2 was apparently "80% boy" at a 16 week scan I had! It's easy to mistake the cord..)

Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 10/10/2013 20:19

Thanks again Crispy FB. After trawling google for inaccurate results all I could find was one inaccurate verifi test which said the baby was a boy when it was a girl. The mum had fallen pg 4wks after her DS was born so he was only 3mths and they think there was still male DNA in her blood from the previous pg. not sure how accurate that account is though.

If you're still hanging around the thread in tests and results I'll update there in 3wks assuming they can see the gender at 16wks. Thanks again for all your help.

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CrispyFB · 11/10/2013 11:31

You're welcome! And thanks for doing the research - despite all I said there's always that niggling "but it might still be a boy" going on in my head but I think it's pretty safe to assume this one is a girl too It's this new technology.. for so long we've been so used to squinting over ultrasounds mid second trimester, rarely with more than 95% certainty. So to now be told 99.9% the sex before even getting into the second trimester and before anything is visible is mind blowing. Of course our subconscious questions it.. and even more so when another company tells you differently

Would love to hear anyway!! I'm 16 weeks and will have my anatomy scan at 20 weeks so we'll have a double check up her skirt then I am sure

Original poster

Worriedthistimearound · 09/11/2013 16:10

Hi all, for the benefit of anyone who brings this up in a search, we had a gender scan today which has confirmed that the baby is indeed a girl. So it would appear that the Harmony test was right all along. Please, for anyone considering using Nimble Diagnostics, stay away. Or at least google as the internet is full of their wrong results. I wish I had googled beforehand as it would have saved me a lots of unnecessary worry. Off now to prepare my boys for a much wanted little sister!

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anxiousannie10 · 14/04/2015 16:18

I know this is old but was your harmony test accurate ? I've had it and it came back 1 in 10,000 so happy with that, I'm constantly wanting to know how accurate this test is.
Thanks

Skiptonlass · 14/04/2015 18:31

What do you mean by accurate, Annie? Do you mean:

1.) what % of babies with a certain problem are picked up?
Or
2.) if I get a low/high risk result,what are the chances it's correct?

(These are two different things) :)

The gender issue is a bit different - they're assaying for a Y chromosome. Now the vast vast majority of mothers won't have one so if they pick up a y, it's certain you're having a boy, but if they don't pick up a y, you could either be having a girl or the y signal isn't being picked up...

I'm a geneticist, and happy to answer any questions :)

AnxiousKeziah · 14/04/2015 18:44

We had a 1:2000 odd result for T21 sadly to lose our little boy to a stillbiirth at 31 weeks to T21. We were the 1. I think 1:10,000 is likely to mean your baby is clear of it - our resukt was rare, called an intermediate result.

KittyandTeal · 14/04/2015 18:46

Anxious I'd say that was classed as a negative result. Very, very low risk.

I think it's very rare for one one to be given a result like that and end up with a positive screen for a trisomy.

I have heard of someone being given an 'intermediate' screen (1:2700 or something similar) that ended up with a trisomy but at 1:10,000 is as close to negative as it gets without an amnio I think.

Try not to worry.

What reason did decide to have a harmony test? I only ask as I wonder if that is adding your anxiety. I know I will be opting for one next time after loosing our dd2 to T18, I know that even if the test comes back low I will still worry until the baby is born.

KittyandTeal · 14/04/2015 18:48

X post keziah, it was you I was referring to. Sorry, I got your numbers wrong. X

anxiousannie10 · 14/04/2015 19:10

Had a 1 in 20 result of downs only from screening, high NT of 2.4 at twelve weeks and my age 37, also bloods were 'off'. I know that my Harmony is a fab result but I'm just wondering how accurate it has proved to be for ladies who went on to have babies born without any 'problems'. It is a new test and I'm curious to find out.
Thanks for replies.

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