TAMPA, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The most recent statistics show a decline in pregnancy rates. However, despite the drop, there are more and more new tests and tips parents to be need to be aware of genetic testing can now be done earlier and is a lot more accurate. Some doctors say it’s not just about testing your unborn baby’s DNA, but your own as well. Here’s more details on why these tests are important before you even conceive.
The baby bump is just starting to show on pilates instructor Jeannie Abreu. At 35 years old, she’s in the high-risk category, but the result of a new prenatal test has her breathing easier.
Abreu told Ivanhoe, “They came actually here to the studio. They drew my blood and we got the results back within seven days. Everything was fine. I’m low risk for everything.”
While tests like this ultrasound are common today, but the Abreus opted for a relatively new screening method called Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing or NIPT.
Jill Hechtman, M.D., an OB/GYN at Tampa Obstetrics explained, “It’s a blood test from the mother but it looks at cells from the pregnancy, whereas the serum screen looks at markers throughout the mother’s blood.”
The big appeal is that it can be done at just nine or 10 weeks into pregnancy, instead of 16, and it is 99% accurate in predicting Down syndrome. It’s not the only test she recommends to her clients. A genetic test of both parents can be a good tool long before the woman becomes pregnant.
“Potentially, it could keep you from getting pregnant,” Dr. Hechtman told Ivanhoe. “You might go a different route or, if you have the information, it could help you prepare better for delivery and pregnancy.”
Before getting pregnant, Jeannie took a genetic test and learned she inherited a harmful gene mutation that gives her an 80% chance of developing breast cancer, and a 60% chance of getting ovarian cancer by the age of 50. And knowing that is why Abreu and her husband Roger decided not to wait any longer.
Abreu said, “I’m excited about being a mom, excited about Roger being able to be a father.”
While the NIP test is 99% accurate some doctors stress that it only indicates a “risk” for genetic abnormalities, not that the child actually has the disorder. Doctors recommend following up with more testing because some studies show false positives happen with NIPT more than 50% of the time.
Contributors to this news report include: Jessica Sanchez, Supervising Producer; Emily Maza Gleason, Field Producer; Brent Sucher, Editor; Travis Bell, Videographer.