NIPT and Harmony

[Lynds77]

Can anyway quickly explain these to me that has already looked into them both.

Are they blood tests?
When do you get them done?
Available on NHS?
Cost?
What it tells you?

I was high risk for Downs with my last pregnancy. We didn't get any further testing and opted for regular growth scans instead.

I was 37 then. 39 now so I know I will come back as high risk again. Back then the Harmony test was the only one available but not in my area.

Google is melting my brain

 

[lisey]

NIPT is basically non-invasive pre-natal testing so that is the term used for a range of companies that do the tests. There is harmony, serenity, nifty and various others.
I had the harmony test, not for any other reason than that I have seen a lot of ladies on here get high risk NHS results and then low risk nipt results. I didn't want the unnecessary worry. Was £399. As far as I know its not available on NHS. Some hospitals may do it after a high risk result but not sure. Can be done from 10 weeks, not sure when the cut off is.
I had a scan and blood test. Quick and easy with no risk to baby.
I had mine done with ultrasound direct, they have loads of clinics all over the place xx

 

[snowbee]

I've had a quote for the Harmony (not available on the NHS at the moment), blood test and scan is £395. That clinic claim it is 99% accurate with a false positive rate of 0.1%. This tests for Trisomy 21, 18 and 13 (Downs, Edwards and Patau). It is also optional to test for Turners and to tell the gender. It doesn't show up things like spina bifida and heart defects.

You can have it from 10 weeks. We decided to wait for our NHS tests and if they were higher risk to then go for the Harmony.

 

[Lynds77]

Serenity and nifty? Oh my goodness. Think I maybe need to start by seeing if there is anywhere within a few hours drive of me and take it from there. Bet there won't be...

Thanks ladies x

 

[Browneyed Girl]

I had the serenity test. They're all basically the same tests but carried out by different companies hence the different names. We went for serenity as it has a really high level of accuracy, the lowest redraw rate and it only takes a week for the results. You have a scan where they have a detailed look at baby's anatomy - brain, skull, stomach etc and measure the nuchal. You also have a blood test - basically your blood contains blood from the baby's placenta, they examine it and match up the pairs of chromosomes, any left over indicate a 3rd copy of a chromosome and depending on which one it is it will show baby is almost certain to have Downs, Edwards, Pateu etc. They also see whether there is an XX or XY so can tell you with 98% certainty if it's a boy or girl. They also tested for lots of other chromosome abnormalities included in the price. We paid £395 and I think it was money well spent. I'll be 39 when this baby is born and didn't want the stress of a high risk result on the NHS especially as the screening is a lot less accurate and only measures hormone levels in the blood. We don't have it available on the NHS but I believe some areas do offer it if you come back high risk on the nuchal screening so worth asking about that. As others have said it doesn't tell you about heart defects and other physical abnormalities which baby could still have. We went to Thisismy who have clinics all over the country xx

 

[ams25]

I think I'm going to get it, im only 30 but my hubby is 40 and i dont know to what extent the man's age would play a part in potential problems? I never had the Nuchal NHS test in my other pregnancies but I feel this time having 2 young children I would need to know the impact of any future problems at an early stage. Just an added bonus to know the gender so early aswell!

Lynds I've been Googling and most places are a couple of hours from me but Baby bond do it for £399 including a scan too and they seem to have quite a few clinics, i found one an hour away http://www.ultrasound-direct.com/mobile/babybond-pregnancy-scans/nipt-scan

 

[Lynds77]

Thanks Ams. Babybond are just under 2hrs from me but 2hrs closer than anyone else haha.

I really want this test, for the same reason as you, being prepared and taking the children we have into consideration. And I really don't want to be worrying my whole pregnancy like last time. X

 

[ams25]

Oh that's good are you going to go for it? 2 hours isn't too bad is it, I would have travelled that far if I hadn't found one an hour away. Thinking it might be nice to put the kids in nursery and make a day out of it with hubby, do some Christmas shopping and have lunch I think I definitely feel differently about testing this time knowing were going to have our hands full with 3 kids as it is, I would want to know as far in advance of any issues to be as prepared as possible. Plus how cool is it to know the gender at 10 weeks?! Probably another boy for me after 2 haha xx

 

[CharlieSmartie]

I have had the Harmony test during two pregnancies. First one was done at Babybond (private ultrasound clinic). Was around £400 including a scan too. we had waited until we had been shown as high risk in the NHS screening before having the test done. The doctors had said afterwards they would have offered us an NIPT because of being high risk but there would have been a charge.

Second time we did the Harmony test we wanted it done as early as possible so paid for it at another private clinic and had it done at 10 weeks.

 

[Lynds77]

Hubby has said no... he wants to wait to see if they manage to get the nuchal measurements at 12wk scan (they didn't manage to get them for the 1st two babies) and ask for the serum test at 14wks and see what both results come back with. He said then if we are more than 1;50 risk then yes.