QNatal Advanced NIPS

Information for your peace of mind.

Your pregnancy should be a joyous event. However, if your physician has determined any risk to your pregnancy due to your age or other factors, it’s natural to have concerns. By providing timely information about your fetus’s chromosomal makeup, prenatal testing can help you make decisions with your healthcare provider about your health and the health of your family.

What is QNatal™ Advanced NIPS?

The QNatal Advanced prenatal screen is a noninvasive test that provides a high degree of accuracy for screening chromosomal abnormalities, without the risk of miscarriage associated with an invasive procedure. Since your fetus’s genetic information is present in your blood, the test can be performed with a simple blood draw as early as 10 weeks into your pregnancy. Results are reported simply as a positive or negative for certain abnormalities. About 97% of women have a normal test result.

What are chromosomes and chromosomal abnormalities?

You should discuss your options with your doctor; however, the decision about whether or not to have prenatal screening is up to you. The following information will help you decide.

QNatal Advanced: a good choice for many reasons.

Featuring the latest technology, the QNatal Advanced screen is a low-risk way to learn more about the health of your fetus and if there is a greater risk of certain birth defects.

• Safe - A Noninvasive screening test based on a maternal blood draw
  
  
• Accurate - Reports on a full range of identified chromosomal abnormalities
  
  
• Timely - Can be performed as early as week 10 of your pregnancy
  
  
• Trusted - Developed and performed by Quest Diagnostics, a leader in genetic testing

Which disorders can be detected by QNatal Advanced?

The test can detect the conditions described below. Other conditions can be detected too, but they are much rarer.

Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is caused by an extra copy of chromosome number 21. Babies with Down syndrome have a distinct physical appearance and mild to moderate intellectual disability. They also have an increased chance of other health problems, such as heart defects.

About 1 in every 800 babies is born with Down syndrome.

Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18) is caused by an extra copy of chromosome number 18. Babies with Edwards syndrome have severe intellectual disability. They often have other birth defects. Many babies don’t survive past the first few months of life.

About 1 in every 6,000 babies is born with Edwards syndrome.

Patau syndrome (trisomy 13) is caused by an extra copy of chromosome number 13. It is similar to Edwards syndrome in the amount and severity of birth defects.

About 1 in every 7,000 to 1 in every 33,000 babies is born with Patau syndrome.

Turner Syndrome (or monosomy X) is caused by loss of an X chromosome. It only occurs in girls. Girls with Turner syndrome are usually shorter than average. Some have other birth defects. Most cannot have babies of their own when they grow up.

About 1 in every 2,500 girls is born with Turner syndrome.

Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) is caused by two X chromos-somes and one Y. It occurs only in boys. Boys with Klinefelter syndrome are usually taller than average. Some have other birth defects. Many cannot father children of their own when they grow up.

As many as 1 in 500 boys is born with Klinefelter syndrome.

Triple X and XYY syndromes are both caused by an extra chromosome. Children are usually taller than average. They may have learning or behavioral problems.

About 1 in every 1,000 girls is born with Triple X syndrome; about 1 in every 1,000 boys is born with XYY syndrome.

Who can have this screening test?

QNatal Advanced is for pregnant women who are considered high risk and have a higher chance of having a baby with one of these conditions. They include women who:

• Are 35 years or older at time of delivery
  
  
• Have had an abnormal ultrasound
  
  
• Have had a previous pregnancy with, or a family history of, one of the conditions listed
  
  
• Have a positive maternal serum screening test

The test can be used for women who are carrying more than one fetus (e.g., twins or triplets). The test cannot tell which fetus is affected. Women who used another women’s egg to get pregnant can also be tested.

How and when can I get this screening test?

Talk with your doctor about the QNatal Advanced screen if you think you qualify for it. If your doctor agrees, he/she will order it for you. You can take the test as early as your 10th week of pregnancy. You can have your blood collected at your doctor’s office or a Sonora Quest Laboratories Patient Service Center.

Is this the only screening test I need?

This test is very accurate; however, a screening test is not diagnostic. That is why, if your result is positive, your doctor will want to follow up with further testing to confirm the result. If your result is negative, it does not guarantee the birth of a healthy baby.

Other helpful resources

March of Dimes (www.marchofdimes.com)

National Down Syndrome Society (www.ndss.org)

Support Organization for Trisomy (SOFT) (www.trisomy.org)

Trisomy 18 Foundation (Edwards Syndrome) (www.trisomy18.org)

QNatal Advanced Noninvasive Prenatal Screen (NIPS) is a laboratory -developed test, developed and performed exclusively by Quest Diagnostics. It has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although laboratory-developed tests to date have not been subject to U.S. FDA regulation, certification of the laboratory is required under CLIA to ensure the quality and validity of the tests.

 
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