IONA Test – NIPT

Description

The IONA® test is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) for pregnant women which estimates the risk of a fetus having Down’s syndrome or some other serious genetic diseases.

This advanced screening test is carried out from a 10ml maternal blood sample* – this will need to be collected by your midwife, GP or Private Hospital – there may be a small charge for this service.

*If you live local to one of our boutiques, you can buy your test online and opt for a complimentary blood draw from our Manchester and Lancashire based boutiques. PLUS a FREE reassurance scan worth £45!

Once the blood sample is taken it is sent off for analysis at a dedicated laboratory in Manchester.

Our clients can expect to receive their test results within approximately 5 working days of the sample arriving in the laboratory.

The IONA® test estimates the risk of a fetus having Down’s syndrome (Trisomy 21), Edwards’ syndrome (Trisomy 18) and Patau’s syndrome (Trisomy 13).

WHAT DOES IONA TEST SCREEN FOR?

Trisomies occur when three, instead of the usual two, copies of a chromosome are present. Edwards’ and Patau’s syndromes are much rarer than Down’s but are very serious and many affected babies do not survive.

HOW DOES THE IONA TEST WORK?

During pregnancy the placenta leaks cell-free DNA which circulates in the maternal bloodstream. As a result, a maternal blood sample contains a mixture of fetal and maternal circulating DNA.

The IONA® test directly measures the amount of this cell-free DNA and can detect small changes in the DNA ratio between the maternal and cell-free DNA when a fetal trisomy 21, 18 or 13 is present.

WHY IS IONA® BETTER THAN THE CURRENT NHS COMBINED TEST?

Traditional screening offered during pregnancy is currently called the combined test. This is an ultrasound scan to measure the nuchal translucency (NT) and a blood test. This is much less accurate than NIPT and it only detects around 85% of babies with Down’s syndrome.

The IONA® test has a higher detection rate than the current combined test offered to pregnant women. This means that fewer pregnant women will undergo unnecessary invasive follow-up procedures such as amniocentesis or CVS which are stressful, painful and can carry a small risk of miscarriage.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE IONA® TEST?

Safe: non-invasive with no risk of miscarriage.

Simple: uses a simple 10ml maternal blood sample

Accurate: greater than 99.84% for detection of trisomy conditions.

Quality: unlike other NIPT’s, the IONA® test is a regulated diagnostic, which is CE marked.

Fast: results provided within 5 working days, from sample receipt arriving at the laboratory.

Suitable for Twin Pregnancies & IVF pregnancies

Free Gender Identification (Optional)*

*We are unable to provide gender identification in dichorionic twins.

Dichorionic means there are two placentas.

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

Figures are based on testing done by our laboratories on a high-risk population – Please note if you are not high-risk, you are likely to have a lower PVV

The Positive Predictive Value (PPV) is the probability that a high-risk result indicates the presence of Down’s syndrome. The PPV takes into account how common Down’s syndrome is in the population. PPV Rate 98.88%

The Detection Rate (sensitivity) of IONA® is 99.84%, which means that nearly every case of Down’s syndrome will be detected with very few false negative results (affected pregnancies falsely screened as low risk).

False Positive Rate (FPR) is the proportion of pregnancies that do not have the syndrome but have screened as high risk. A false positive result means that although NIPT indicates a high risk of trisomy 21, the fetus does not have this condition. FPR 0.022%

Please note: Yourgene Health, the test provider, does not offer genetic counselling in the event of a high-risk result.

We always recommend that results are discussed with your Healthcare Professional

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with our NIPT FAQs before placing your order

Please click here to see Brochure