International experience in organizing non-invasive prenatal testing

Abstract

Non-invasive prenatal testinging (NIPT) is a relatively new method aimed at detecting fetal chromosomal aneuploidies by analyzing extracellular fetoplacental DNA in the blood of a pregnant woman. NIPT has high sensitivity and specificity, and many professional communities now recommend its use as a screening method. Since its introduction into clinical practice in Hong Kong in 2011, NIPT has expanded rapidly around the world. The experience of various countries in organizing non-invasive prenatal testing is described in this article. Key words: NIPT, non-invasive prenatal testing, extracellular fetoplacental DNA, prenatal screening, prenatal diagnosis, invasive prenatal diagnosis, aneuploidy