Don’t offer noninvasive prenatal testing to low-risk patients or make irreversible decisions based on the results of this screening test.

Rationale and Comments

NIPT has only been adequately evaluated in singleton pregnancies at high risk for chromosomal abnormalities (maternal age >35, positive screening, sonographic findings suggestive of aneuploidy, translocation carrier at increased risk for trisomy 13, 18, or 21, or prior pregnancy with a trisomy 13, 18, or 21). Its utility in low-risk pregnancies remains unclear. False-positive and false-negative results occur with NIPT, particularly for trisomy 13 and 18. Any positive NIPT result should be confirmed with invasive diagnostic testing prior to a termination of pregnancy. If NIPT is performed, adequate pretest counseling must be provided to explain the benefits and limitations.

Sponsoring Organizations

• Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Sources

• Expert consensus

Disciplines

• Genetic
• Obstetrical

References

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Genetics. Noninvasive prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidy. Committee Opinion No. 545. Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Dec;120(6):1532–4.