What is NIFTY?
NIFTY (Non-Invasive Fetal Trisomy) test is a completely safe test that screens for genetic dysfunctions in a fetus. The test involves taking a sample of a mother’s blood between the 10th and 24th week of pregnancy; such blood containing the genetic material of a baby (the so-called cell-free fetal DNA present in a mother’s blood serum – cffDNA). The baby’s DNA is subject to detailed and very thorough analysis using the method of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). In combination with advanced bioinformatic analysis it makes it possible to provide a precise number of chromosome pairs 21, 18 and 13 in a fetus. The trisomies of these pairs are responsible, respectively, for Down syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau syndrome. Moreover, the NIFTY test examines sex chromosomes, which makes it possible to determine the sex of a baby.
Contrary to aminiopuncture or trophoblast biopsy, the NIFTY test does not pose any risk of a miscarriage or intrauterine infection; moreover, it is characterized by very high sensitivity and specificity (above 99.9%).
Who is the NIFTY test designed for?
This test is recommended for women who want to perform a non-invasive fetal trisomy test, are over 35 and do not want have an invasive prenatal test.
The test is also recommended in case results of biochemical tests or ultrasonographic examinations suggest a high risk of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy and in case of contraindications for invasive prenatal tests (placenta praevia, high risk of miscarriage, HCV infection, HIV).
The NIFTY test is a safe alternative for amniopuncture among women who became pregnant after infertility treatment. The waiting time for results is not more than 2 weeks.
Do you need any special preparations for the NIFTY test?
Prior to the NIFTY test you need to fill in a questionnaire concerning basic information about the pregnancy (which pregnancy it is, date of last menstruation, exact gestational age in weeks or estimated labor date, description of last ultrasonographic examination). The test itself does not require any preparation and it does not have to be performed under fasting conditions.