What is a prenatal cell-free of charge DNA (cfDNA) screening?
Prenatal cell-free of charge DNA (cfDNA) screening is a blood exam for expecting girls. All through being pregnant, some of an unborn baby’s DNA circulates in the mother’s bloodstream. A cfDNA screening checks this DNA to discover out if the newborn is much more very likely to have Down syndrome or yet another condition triggered by a trisomy.
A trisomy is a condition of the chromosomes. Chromosomes are the parts of your cells that have your genes. Genes are parts of DNA handed down from your mother and father. They have information and facts that establishes your distinctive qualities, this sort of as height and eye coloration.
- People today commonly have 46 chromosomes, divided into 23 pairs, in each and every cell.
- If just one of these pairs has an extra copy of a chromosome, it is termed a trisomy. A trisomy brings about variations in the way the physique and brain create.
- In Down syndrome, there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. This is also regarded as trisomy 21. Down syndrome is the most typical chromosome condition in the United States.
- Other trisomy diseases involve Edwards syndrome (trisomy eighteen), where by there is an extra copy of chromosome eighteen, and Patau syndrome (trisomy 13), where by there is an extra copy of chromosome 13. These diseases are uncommon but much more really serious than Down syndrome. Most babies with trisomy eighteen or trisomy 13 die inside the initially calendar year of existence.
A cfDNA screening has pretty tiny risk to you and your newborn, but it can’t inform you for positive whether or not your newborn has a chromosome condition. Your wellness care company will have to have to buy other exams to affirm or rule out a diagnosis.
Other names: cell-free of charge fetal DNA, cffDNA, non-invasive prenatal exam, NIPT