Cell free dna test ?

pghctwife · December 2017

who all is getting one? Our early mamas will be doing them soon! Is yours scheduled yet?
Has anyone had one done in a previous pregnancy?

hfooter · December 2017

I will so long as insurance covers it. With my second it was covered by my previous insurance.

All information is good information in my book, plus you get to find out the sex and finalize their name, room, clothes etc

meeks2020 · December 2017

I'm high risk for birth defects but my first appointment isn't until 10 weeks (January 30th). I'm assuming either my ob will go ahead and order it then or at my first mfm appointment (a week or 2 later) they'll do it.

pghctwife · December 2017

Im ama so we will do it. I didn’t do early testing previously but with older kids now, and being higher risk the info will be a good peace of mind.

and with3 boys and this being the last baby... I really just need to know boy or girl

i dknt have my first appt till 10w too so just waiting for it to be called in

scottishlass1213 · December 2017

I’m having mine on the 9th and my doc says takes about 10 days for results.

aj1327 · December 2017

I’m AMA and will be doing it! My appointment to do the blood work is the 11th. I’ll be 11 weeks.

hezzer78 · December 2017

I'm AMA so we'll be doing it as well. We're going to hold off on knowing the sex though

My insurance is kind of crap so I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't covered. I'm a little nervous as to the price tag.

jsnakehole · December 2017

My brother and his wife just did Panorama and got sent a $6000 bill. That was an error, because my SIL is 35, so her insurance was supposed to cover it. I'm 28, so I know I don't fall into AMA, but MH and I are both part of high-risk groups (Ashkenazi Jews). I

ecwk · December 2017

I did the MaterniT21 test last time (and elected to not find out the sex) because of a soft marker on our anatomy scan so even though I was not AMA, my insurance still covered it. This time I won't get it done unless something like last time happens!

legallykate · December 2017

I’m getting mine on 1/18 (at 10w3d) and should have results with a week or two so we are tentatively planning a gender reveal in early Feb!

bakerstreetboys · December 2017

If we make it to ten weeks, we will be getting the Harmony testing. I'm AMA, plus we just like to have as much info as possible. We had it done with our last baby, and it was a huge reassurance. It wasn't covered last time, but will be covered this time by provincial insurance.

neeraja_k · December 2017

Given my AMA, 37, and other health conditions, I'll be high risk and I'm sure my doctor will recommend getting it done. I'm interested in what all I can find out with it, although I don't want to know the gender. Heh

I'm curious and apprehensive about its accuracy of certain conditions it checks for. I've read of women whose fetuses tested positive for Downs via tests, they ended up terminating, and at the post mortem examination it was found not to be accurate. That scares the hell out of me.

legallykate · December 2017

@neeraja_k Cell free DNA is just a screening, so even assuming it comes back with markers for a trisomy, you would need an amnio or other genetic test to confirm, and those are essentially 100% accurate. I have never heard a story like the one you describe and don’t even understand how that could happen, that sounds like pro life fearmongering to me.

delujm0 · December 2017

I had Panorama done for DD2 and will do it again this time. I am 35 so insurance should cover it. I was 34 last time and the doctor advised me to call the company to ask about billing. They said that if insurance denies it you can call them when they bill you for it and they'll reduce the fee to a few hundred bucks. This was true for me and I believe the other branded tests will so the same, just call them first to make sure. It was worth it to me because a pedatrician thought DD1 might have had Downs when she was 2 months old, and I wasn't messing with that again (she doesn't have it).

@legallykate is correct in that this is just a screen. No good doctor would tell you to consider termination from only this information. If your odds look unusually high, cvs or amniocentesis will be suggested to give you a 100% accurate diagnosis.

This test is similar to the NT scan/quad screen but more accurate. My doctor still does the NT scan/quad screen as well at 12 weeks to look at spina bifida markers and also to check for physical issues in advance of the anatomy scan so you would be aware of them earlier and able to have more frequent scans if necessary. Some doctors won't do an NT scan if you do the cell free DNA test, so I'd ask about that.

I had it done at 10 weeks last time and even though it was right before thanksgiving they turned it around in 4 days which was awesome. They take A LOT of blood for it, so be prepared (and hydrated) for that.

meeks2020 · December 2017

@neeraja_k If you're worried it would come back with markers for trisomy and after abortion it would turn out false, don't* get an abortion. Other posters are right, it would need confirmed via amnio.
*I am pro-choice, just making comment that if you are pro-life don't get an abortion, or if you are wanting to abort a child who has trisomy, but you are worried the test is wrong, then don't abort it until you are comfortable with your decision.

meeks2020 · December 2017

Off subject but nt scan is usually done at similar time and has been mentioned-
Also did you all know that the nt scan can tell if the child is at a heightened risk for heart defects? We elected for the scan which showed no increased risk for trisomys but that mfm needed to do the anatomy scan bc it was thick enough to raise risk for heart defects

lolog531 · December 2017

I didn’t do it with DS because insurance wouldn’t cover it since I wasn’t high risk or over 35.
I have different insurance now, so I’ll definitely be looking into it. I’m 34, but will be 35 when I deliver, so not sure how that will work with it possibly being covered? My first appointment is when I’m right at 10 weeks, so I figure I’ll discuss with my OB then!

delujm0 · December 2017

@lolog531 all insurance policies differ but generally they cover if you will be 35 at delivery. I know because DD2 was due 2 days before my 35th birthday so they wouldn't cover it for her (seriously, by two days). I'll be 36 when I deliver this time.

@meeks2020 that's another reason that my doctor insists on the NT scan even with cell free DNA results...some doctors will not do both though, so I like to recommend that people ask and if their doctor will only do one or the other they can weigh the pros and cons of both before deciding.

fishee333 · December 2017

At my group Dr appointment I learned that the older the mama is, the more accurate the cell free dna test results are. They said if you are over 35, it's more than 99.9% accurate.

I got it done with my last two pregnancies and was very happy I did. My first pregnancy, I was able to feel relieved knowing that everything showed up healthy and I got to really enjoy my pregnancy. *TW loss mentioned* My last pregnancy, which I lost at 16 weeks, I tested positive for Down Syndrome. It helped me prepare for having a high risk pregnancy and all that the future could have potentially been if he hadn't passed away. The post mortem results showed that he had Down Syndrome, so the cell free dna test results were accurate for me. *End TW*
I'm definitely getting the testing done this time as well.

neeraja_k · December 2017

I am definitely pro-choice. And I think it's great for those folks who want and can take care of a special needs child, but personally it's not for me. And yeah, I'd want everything in triplicate confirmation before I would do anything anyway.

So it definitely could have been fear-mongering, given it was one of those random Facebook articles iirc. But not having much experience with all of this, no close friends or family with kids to glean info from, or even to know where to find the information I don't yet know about, is why I value all of the previous experience from you ladies who have been through it all before.

So thank you for setting my mind at ease.

delujm0 · January 2018

I feel like this should be pointed out as well. If you are planning to pay for the test out of pocket simply because you want to know the sex of the baby, there are ways in which this test can be inaccurate. I personally would not have done that, and happily waited for the anatomy scan with DD1, but you do you.

To determine the sex of the baby, the test searches for traces of Y chromosome in the blood. Since you are a woman, obviously the assumption is that you have no Y chromosome, so if they see it in there they say you are having a boy. If they don't see it, they say girl.

Two ways this can go wrong (and it's a low likelihood, but still worth pointing out):

1. If you have recently given birth to, or miscarried, a boy, studies have shown that traces of Y chromosome can remain in your own blood for years in some cases. If this happens to you, the test could catch the Y chromosome in your blood and say boy, when in fact the current baby may be a girl.

2. If the test doesn't get enough of a percentage of the fetal blood in the sample it could miss a present Y chromosome and say girl for a boy. This percentage is shown on your results and each test has a minimum which they require to consider the test accurate for the trisomy data, so if it's below that threshold typically you'd have to do the whole test again (which is why I'd advise not having it until you are at least 10 weeks based on MEASUREMENT rather than LMP if possible; the earlier it is done the less fetal blood you tend to get). However if the percentage is adequate for the trisomy scans but not necessarily the sex, they will not run it again for free because the main purpose of the test has been fulfilled.

Fwiw, I've only had girls and had a reasonbly low percentage of fetal blood in my test last time (enough to clear the accuracy threshold though) and it was correct. But if I'd paid $350 out of pocket just to find out the sex and it had been wrong I would have been pretty annoyed. I did ask them to make sure it was a girl at my anatomy scan regardless. I was just happy that she was healthy, which is the whole reason I did the test in the first place.

A similar thread in my previous BMB completely BLEW UP after a random person came in and claimed that her cell free DNA test said it was a boy but it was actually a girl, and it was a whole thing (though I suspect it was a catfish; the information didn't really line up). It would be nice if we could avoid that fate here.

pghctwife · January 2018

^ twins too, including vanishing twin. Happened to a friend recently. She was ama etc, did one of these tests and it said boy but she had a girl - they had a vanished twin.

delujm0 · January 2018

@pghctwife that is true, I forgot to mention that. Also, my sister just had twins, and these tests were not advised for her at all because they have difficulty separating the blood of the two fetuses, therefore the accuracy is compromised. So if anyone is expecting multiples, these tests are unlikely to be suggested. Even if you had it done with twins all they could tell you for the sex is whether at least one of the babies is a boy. Given that the trisomy data wouldn't be terribly accurate with twins either, it's probably not worth it. Though I guess it would be as accurate for identical twins as it would be for one baby, I don't think you usually know for sure if the twins are identical until after birth.

legallykate · January 2018

@delujm0 Will they always tell you the fetal blood percentage/accuracy level? My OB won't do it before 10 weeks so I am doing mine at 10w3d but I would definitely want to know if it was still too low percentage wise and needed to be redone.

delujm0 · January 2018

@legallykate I know that my doctor scanned and posted the actual results page from Panorama itself on my online portal and I was able to view it. The percentage was right on there. I know because I was like "wtf does this number mean" so I Googled it.

For my last pregnancy I ovulated cd19 so I measured 5 days off of lmp, but the doctor considered my due date to be the lmp date (I personally considered the measurement date to be my due date). I made sure that I scheduled the draw for 10 weeks based on measurement for that reason...otherwise they would have had me in too early. If the percentage is too low for the trisomy screen, they will send an inconclusive result and require a redraw...that happened to a couple of ladies on my previous BMB. Mine was on the low end, but still exceeded the minimum by a few points.

lalala2004 · January 2018

It’s worth mentioning that sometimes the anatomy scan is wrong on the sex in rare circumstances, so it’s always nice to have two pieces of data to go with. I had the test done after we already knew we were having a boy, so it was nice to have confirmation (I had soft markers on my anatomy scan similar to @ecwk ).

alinafed · January 2018

I am getting it done and paying out of pocket. I have two boys and this is our last so a significant reason I am doing it is to find out the sex. However, I think the test continues to improve and they can even do it for twins now, and they say that there is no way that previous pregnancies will affect the results. This is my first time getting it so it's all new to me, but anyway I am confident when they say it's the most accurate way to determine the sex (obviously I can see how a vanishing twin etc would throw the results off). I did the Panorama however I did it right when I was measuring 9 weeks (they said you can come as early as 9 weeks) as there were no other appointments for the next week (9w2d based on LMP, 9w based on O date and ultrasound measurement) so I am a bit nervous they won't have enough fetal DNA but if not they will do a re-draw, so I will either have the results by next week or I guess in another couple of weeks if I need to redraw. I waffled on whether to do it but so far I feel like it was the right decision for me.

Piperella · January 2018

I'm having twins, and I'm still doing the NIPT this go around. Last time I used Maternit21 and it was covered due to be AMA and IVF (which my Ob offices consider's high risk). While it may not be accurate, it can still identify that there could be a trisomy issue, so at least I would move forward even more with more invasive testing. To me, I rather go low-risk, less invasive first, and then step it up if there is something spotted. Also, I would find out if I'm having two girls, or at least one boy, so the results are more vague than a singleton.

ssthomps · January 2018

I didn’t have this last time and wasn’t offered. Can you detail what it is?

pghctwife · January 2018

@ssthomps it’s a first tri blood test that looks st the fetal dna in moms blood to check for certain conditions (trisomy etc) as well as the sex.

It wasnt a thing when I was pregnant with my 2.5 yr old, so it’s fairly new. Insurance generally only covers if you are high risk, including ama

westphilly · January 2018

I'll be going for the Quest Qnatal one next week. Anyone else use Quest? It seems like it's the same as all of the others. We're doing it because we like to be prepared in case we find any abnormalities, not because we'd terminate (I am pro-choice).
I am a little concerned with being able to view my results online, because we prefer to not know the sex of our baby until birth. Not a big deal, but I may have to ask my doc to hide the sex results or something. Although, I always check the results as soon as they get posted before my next visit so I can prep questions.

legallykate · January 2018

Ours is through Counsyl, but I think they are all pretty much the same?

@westphilly I am in a similar boat, I get the blood work done on 1/18, so it should be loaded into my portal sometime between 1/25 and 2/1, but we are doing a gender reveal on 2/10 and DH doesn't want me to peek before then. My doctor said she can walk through the other results with me and then give me the gender in a sealed envelope but it seems like a whole lot of hoopla when the information will all be RIGHT THERE.

delujm0 · January 2018

@westphilly not sure how that particular test works, but for Panorama they ask you on the forms if you want to know the sex. If you say no, they will not post it on your results. They won't even check for it. Perhaps your test is similar?

@legallykate I swore I wouldn't look at my results on the online portal for DD2 until DH got home...he was literally on a walk with DD1 and would have been back in like 30 minutes, but I looked anyway. I couldn't help myself!

legallykate · January 2018

delujm0 said:

@legallykate I swore I wouldn't look at my results on the online portal for DD2 until DH got home...he was literally on a walk with DD1 and would have been back in like 30 minutes, but I looked anyway. I couldn't help myself!

I love it, we are kindred spirits! I am 99% sure I will look so I just have to practice lying to DH and looking super surprised when we do the reveal (or as surprised as you can be about something that is 50/50 anyway).

westphilly · January 2018

@delujm0 Thanks! Hopefully they'll have the checkbox for them not to test for sex. Or, I'll ask for it if I don't see it.

delujm0 · January 2018

@legallykate oh I absolutely lied. He came in and I was like "oh look, our results posted, let's look at them!" I'm the worst. I know I'll do it again this time too. If it's a third girl I'll just email it to him at work. But if it's a boy I'll probably lie again just to see the look on his face. We both expect it to be a girl again though (nice and easy at least!)

ssthomps · January 2018

pghctwife said:

@ssthomps it’s a first tri blood test that looks st the fetal dna in moms blood to check for certain conditions (trisomy etc) as well as the sex.

It wasnt a thing when I was pregnant with my 2.5 yr old, so it’s fairly new. Insurance generally only covers if you are high risk, including ama

Good to know I haven’t met with my OB yet because I am still being observed by my OB. I guess I will find out when I have my first OB appt.

hotairballoons99 · January 2018

Had mine drawn last Tuesday. Hoping the results are back this week but could be a full 2 weeks before they come back

meeks2020 · January 2018

@pghctwife I had it done in early 2014, so it's been about at least 4 years and it wasn't extremely new technology then, although maybe it wasn't as common knowledge?

pghctwife · January 2018

Hm weird. I was due in June ‘15 and was on the BMB etc - never heard of it till late that pregnancy, no one on my bmb, or local, was getting it etc. It must have become widespread/common later (I assumed it was around before becoming widespread

)

Either way it’s fairly new...

ecwk · January 2018

Yeah my son is almost two and I had it done with him. I think it came out around 2012.

Cell free dna test ?

Re: Cell free dna test ?

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