5/26/2023 0 Comments Panorama testHowever, if you have decided to keep your baby regardless of the result, you may as well save your money. Sometimes the results necessitate a difficult decision on whether or not to terminate the pregnancy. That said, think carefully about what you want to know. For those mothers who have a history of genetic abnormalities, or are slightly older and therefore at increased risk, and can afford it, the Harmony Test is worth doing. The NHS is stretched financially, so clearly it cannot always offer the newest, cutting edge tests immediately. Most professionals agree that the Harmony Test is an exciting medical development, which in the future may prevent the miscarriage of healthy foetuses through invasive DNA testing. It’s recommended to take the test between 10 and 12 weeks, as it may be necessary to take further tests (including an amniocentesis) if the results are positive. There is a time limit on when you can have the test, so it’s important to have the initial screening as early as possible. READ MORE: Time to talk – Everything you need to know about water births When is the best time to have the Harmony Test? Some couples start with the standard test and if there are any concerns may then choose to have NIPT rather than the CVS or amniocentesis, currently offered via the NHS. But is worth knowing the standard test is still 93% accurate. While the Harmony Test is expensive, it’s claimed this method of non-invasive testing is 99% accurate. Private clinics in the UK do offer it as well as other types of NIPT, however, they come with a high price tag.Ĭurrently, the cost for one scan and subsequent testing is around £300-£500. Unfortunately, the Harmony Test is not available on the NHS. Is it available on the NHS? How much does the Harmony Test cost? By detecting this DNA, a more accurate assessment of genetic abnormalities, including Down’s, Edward’s or Patau syndrome, can be determined.Ĭurrently, the Harmony Test is the most widely available NIPT in the UK, but other tests that cover a wider range of chromosomal abnormalities are becoming increasingly available in private clinics, such as the MaterniT21 Plus and VisibiliT. The Harmony Test is the most well-known brand of non-invasive prenatal testing, and works by detecting the baby’s DNA in the mother’s blood from a simple blood test. If high risk, you may be advised to have chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, which is the only 100% accurate way of testing for chromosomal abnormalities. However, these tests carry an associated risk of miscarriage (only around 1%). It does not give you a clear cut answer regarding chromosomal abnormality, simply an idea of whether you are high or low risk. Does the scan have to be done at exactly 12 weeks?įor this test to be accurate, the check-up must be done between 10 and 14 weeks. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid behind the neck and have absent nasal bones. The ultrasound scan checks that the baby is growing well, but its main purpose is to look at the translucent or clear space in the tissue at the back of your baby’s neck, hence the name ‘nuchal translucency scan’. In order to understand whether the Harmony Test is worth taking, it’s important to know what the standard 12-week screening involves. What is the standard 12-week screening test? Most commonly known as the Harmony Test, so here’s everything you need to know about the screening. However, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is now available in the UK. But these are not without their risks, and involve and invasive procedure where tissue from the placenta or fluid from the around the baby is taken and tested. If the results of these screening tests come back as ‘high risk’, more diagnostic tests such as as chrorionic villus sampling or an amniocentesis will be offered. This is also known as the dating scan, as it’s the time the baby’s expected due date will be revealed.Īt this point, a combined screening test is carried out to help detect the risk of the baby having a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down’s Syndrome. The scan includes an ultrasound, where jelly is rubbed onto mum’s tummy and sound waves are used to produce an image of the foetus. This is because a screening test is carried out at 12 weeks to check all is well with the baby during the first trimester of pregnancy. Most women opt to wait until that all-important 12-week scan before making their big announcement. The Harmony Test: Everything you Need to KnowĪnnouncing a pregnancy is an exciting time, but there’s often concern about when to share the happy news with friends and family.
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