PrenaTest®
PrenaTest® gives clarity
The PrenaTest® provides you with a test method that combines many of the advantages of the conventional methods with none of the disadvantages. On the one hand, the PrenaTest® is safe for your unborn child while on the other hand, it determines very accurately whether or not any of the specified chromosomal disorders is present.
What can the PrenaTest® detect in my child?
The PrenaTest® is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT). From maternal blood, it can detect the following changes in the genetic material of your unborn child, known as chromosomal disorders:
- Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
- Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome)
- Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)
- Maldistributions of the sex chromosomes X and Y (Turner, triple X, Klinefelter and XYY syndrome)
- Monosomy 21, 18 and 13
- Trisomies and monosomies of all other chromosomes 1-12, 14-17, 19, 20 and 22
- 22q11.2 microdeletion (DiGeorge syndrome)
If desired, you can also learn whether you are expecting a girl or a boy. In Germany, in accordance with statutory provisions, your doctor will tell you the sex of your child starting from the twelfth week of pregnancy post-conception. National regulations in other countries may vary.
What is the PrenaTest® unable to detect in my child?
Certain special forms of chromosomal disorders, for example, structural changes to chromosomes or mosaics, cannot be detected. In the case of structural chromosomal disorders, a piece of a chromosome is missing, there is an extra piece or a piece was incorporated incorrectly in the chromosome. In a mosaic, cells of a tissue or of the entire organism of the embryo have different genetic information.
How accurate is the PrenaTest®?
The high accuracy of the PrenaTest® has been proven in clinical studies. Test accuracies of more than 99% were achieved, depending on the chromosomal disorder tested. This number means that out of 100 pregnant women whose unborn child is affected by a chromosomal disorder, 99 will be determined correctly. In addition, the probability that an abnormal (that is, positive) test result is not correct is very low. This is indicated by the so-called false-positive rate of 0.1%. This value implies that in a group of 1000 unaffected pregnant women, one pregnant woman will receive an abnormal (that is, positive) test result, although her unborn child is in fact not affected by a chromosome disorder. It is important for you to know that 100% test accuracy should not be expected when non-invasive prenatal tests are used. In rare cases, there may be no or an unclear test result. However, this does not reveal anything about the health of your child. You may then repeat the PrenaTest® at no additional cost. The waiting time for the test result will be accordingly prolonged. Please have your doctor explain to you which level of accuracy the PrenaTest® can offer you and how.