NIPT Tests - Harmony, SAFE or Panorama?! How do you choose?

[Moominmiss]

As the title really....

I’ve spent the entire morning googling the differences between the harmony, panorama and SAFE tests 😩

My head feels ready to explode with the info.
On the surface they all seem fairly similar.

From what I can gather the panorama tests for a few more chromosome disorders such as turners, triploidys, and also can detect some microdeletions such as prader willi syndrome etc.

The SAFE test tests for the same as harmony (the 3 main trisomies) but is done at a lab in London and therefore a much quicker turnaround time. It’s also apparently the most recommended of the NIPT tests if the mother has a higher bmi (mine is 31 so classed as obese).

I am leaning towards getting the SAFE test around 12 weeks. Hopefully that will allow for enough time for the fetal dna to show in my blood.

I’d like the panorama but I can’t seem to find anywhere local to me that offers it. I’m in the south west and it seems I’d have to go to London. Not ideal, although it would be doable. Whereas the SAFE I can have nearer to me. Same with the harmony which is offered at several local clinics.

God it’s all such a minefield. I think I need to step away from google for a bit. All I’ve looked at all morning are different statistics, accuracy rates, and risk factors.

Drained is not the word!

Also anyone that has had one done, can I ask if the scan that is done is treated as a proper medical process?

Obviously a lot of the private scans you can pay for aren’t all that in depth and are more of a ‘oh look here’s your baby, oh how cute’ sort of scan, rather than looking in depth at anything.

I assume that as the NIPT scan is part of a medical process that it would be treated as such and therefore a fairly thorough scan?

Thank you in advance for any replies ☺️

Hi @Moominmiss,

I had the SAFE last week but awaiting results. For me, I compared all and went with what I felt for best for us. The PPV value differs with some so if it came back as high risk there’s slight increase all is ok and could cause unnecessary worry, as some if i remember correctly we’re 60 %. I also felt as the SAFE lab was situated inside NHS St George’s I know where it’s being sent to, but that’s personal choice for me.

In terms of the scan I can only comment on my experience, I went with the birth company and their sonographer is actually a trained doctor so highly experienced and it felt very medical, checking and pointing out each body part some as bladder / stomach etc which I felt was more in-depth that the NHS 12 week scan, which I preferred.

Hope this helps but ultimately it’s all personal choice. X

@Fran919 thank you so much for sharing your own experience.

For me that is what was blowing my mind, the PPV values for each trisomy and how it differs.

It’s great to know the scan was treated as a proper medical procedure though.

I’ve looked a lot at the birth company and am tempted. But obviously it’s in London so would mean a long trip up to London for me and back - can that even be counted as essential travel?!

Thank you so much. Wishing you all the best for your results.

High BMI of 39 and Harmony did not give me a result. First draw was done 10+2 and might have been too early, the 2nd draw was 2 weeks after and baby was actually measuring 13 weeks that day, still nothing. I did SAFE at around 11+2 and got a low chance result within 5 working days. I recommend SAFE with a higher BMI.

Just to add on BMI - I can’t comment on the other tests but I did panorama at 10&4 with a BMI of 44... I was expecting it to come back needing a second test but I got results first time around (all low risk thankfully) I’ve read BMI can cause issues with the fetal fraction so whilst 31 is classed at obese you’re at the lower end so I wouldn’t expect that to cause an issue.

Thank you both @Wireless77 and @BabyC21. That’s really helpful.

I think we’ve definitely decided it will either be SAFE or panorama.

I know I’d worry like mad if they couldn’t get a result (I know that’s it’s not an indication of anything wrong).

I’m thinking I’ll wait until 12-13 weeks (as much as I’d love to just book in for 11 weeks), so hopefully the odds of getting a result will be more on my side.

I’m kicking myself now for not losing more weight during ttc. I was ttc for 16 months so not as if it happened quickly.

I have lost 6lb in the last few weeks though, thanks to nausea.

Thank you both so much for taking the time to give me your experiences.

Just the replies on this thread have confirmed what I was already thinking about opting for the SAFE test.

I had the Harmony test but got no result back. With me, I don’t think the ‘no result’ was BMI related - I never found out why but do wonder if it was because I was only 9.5 weeks along.

My sonographer then recommended doing SAFE (which was done at no extra cost due to not getting results the first time) as she generally found in her experience that it could return results when other tests didn’t. SAFE (done at 12 weeks) did indeed work for me and I got all the results back on this second try, plus the gender.

The scans for both tests were very official and medical with lots of measurements taken including those relevant to potential chromosome disorders.

I believe the in-depth scan is part of what you’re paying for with NIPT, so should absolutely be v thorough.

Hope that helps!

Thank you @Natty47 it really does help.

You’re right re the scans. That’s what I thought, that they’d be treated as a serious medical scan. Not just an extra ‘fun’ scan.

Seems the SAFE really is looking to be the best choice.

Now to find somewhere I can have it done. If I need to travel as far as London then I absolutely would do.