New Generation Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing "Harmony"
HARMONY is a non-invasive fetal assay that identifies the risk of X and Y chromosomes-related syndromes for prenatal diagnosis of Down, Edward, and Patta syndromes. It can also identify the sex of a future baby. Harmony is made from a woman's venous blood and therefore safe for her mother and fetus. This testing is the most accurate of the existing screening methods available from the 10th week of gestation (twins from 12 weeks of gestation) at any time during pregnancy.
HARMONY is a highly accurate fetal study for pregnant women of any age and risk. The study is much safer than invasive test procedures such as amniocentesis and chorionic scab biopsy, with a risk of miscarriage of up to 1%.
PRISCA
PRISCA - (Prenatal Risk Calculation) is a non-invasive blood test for pregnant women, where the risk of fetal chromosomal diseases or other birth defects is assessed by a computer program according to the values of several biochemical markers and other pregnancy data. The chances of having a baby with chromosomal disease are small, but it is. About 70 percent self-miscarriages occur during the first trimester of pregnancy because of the chromosomal pathology of the fetus. However, sometimes such embryos survive and are born babies with incurable chromosomal disease. Mostly with Down and Edward syndromes.
The causes of fetal malformations are varied: genetically inherited parent deficits or fetal developmental defects due to adverse environmental effects and random cell division errors. It is for this reason that even healthy parents sometimes have a baby with pathology.
In order to determine the risk for a pregnant woman to have a baby with Down, Edward's syndrome or nerve tube defect, a special chromosomal risk assessment program PRISCA based on the evaluation of mother's blood biochemical markers was proposed. In some countries, the PRISCA study is performed for all pregnant women, so far this study is recommended but not mandatory in Lithuania.
PRISCA testing is recommended for all pregnant women, regardless of age. This test is best done twice: first and second trimester of pregnancy.
The second trimester of pregnancy assesses the risk of having a baby with: Down and Edward syndromes, nerve tube damage. Pregnancy data are needed to calculate the risk of birth defects: date of birth, weight, smoking, co-morbidity. Pregnancy Data: Twins, Artificial Insemination, Pregnancy Time (Pregnancy Period can be calculated based on the date of last menstruation, ultrasound data). It is necessary to carefully fill in the form for sending the PRISCA as all the additional data are important for the reliability of the test result.
The cost of test sample collection - 4€
