NIPT test
NIPT tests can be performed from week 10+0 of pregnancy. In Norway, it is legal to analyze for the conditions Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) to determine whether the fetus has a high risk of these conditions.
Medicus is approved for and offers NIPT testing at our clinics in Trondheim, Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen.
What is NIPT?
NIPT stands for Non Invasive Prenatal Test. The test involves a blood sample from the pregnant woman, which can reveal whether the fetus is at high risk for the conditions. Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) og Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). The blood sample is taken from the arm of the pregnant woman and is not dangerous for the foetus.
In addition to the blood test, an ultrasound examination is also performed to check how far along you are, heart activity, the number of fetuses, and whether the fetus is developing normally.
Who can take an NIPT test?
NIPT can be taken by all pregnant women from week 10+0 up to week 40+0.
If the pregnant woman has autoimmune diseases, cancer, infection or a high BMI, there is a risk of an inconclusive answer because inflammatory cells can camouflage the fetal cells. This happens in approximately 3-4% of cases.
How an NIPT test is performed
An NIPT test consists of a blood test and an ultrasound examination, which is done either by a gynecologist or midwife. After you have booked an appointment via our online booking, the process goes like this:
1. NIPT School
Everyone who is going to take an NIPT test is required to complete NIPT School before you arrive at your appointment. Here you will read information about the test and you will receive a digital certificate that you must show when you arrive at the clinic.
2. Consultation
You will receive further guidance and answers to any questions you may have from our gynecologist or midwife you have booked an appointment with. The practitioner will perform an ultrasound examination to examine heart activity, number of fetuses and gestational age or whether there are any abnormalities that indicate that another examination is more appropriate.
3. Blood test
After the ultrasound examination, a blood sample is taken from the pregnant woman's arm.
4. Analysis
Your blood sample is sent for analysis to Edda Laboratories, with whom we work. It usually takes about 10 days for the results to be ready.
5. Follow-up
Further follow-up depends on the results of the NIPT test. If the results are normal, you will receive an SMS directly from the laboratory, and there is normally no need for further follow-up. If the results are abnormal, one of our practitioners will call you for further follow-up.
How much does an NIPT test cost?
The price of the NIPT test including guidance, ultrasound, blood test, analysis and follow-up is 8.200,-
Book an appointment for NIPT in Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo
All Medicus clinics are approved for and can perform NIPT tests.
You can easily find a time that suits you via our online booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Basically, the answer is no. We need to make sure that you are well informed and have received good enough guidance. This is done by checking that you have completed NIPT training and guidance from one of our practitioners. We also want an ultrasound that is as recent as possible to avoid the risk of doing a test under conditions that could give an incorrect result.
At our clinic in Trondheim you can book an appointment for just the blood test with our ultrasound midwife, but this requires that you have had a 1st trimester ultrasound in a public facility and bring documentation of this. The ultrasound must have been performed the same day or the latest day before the blood test is taken. This is because we need to have as fresh information as possible when we take the blood test.
You will then receive an SMS directly from the laboratory stating that everything is normal. There you log in with BankID to find the result.
One of our therapists will contact you by phone for further follow-up.
If the test reveals that the fetus is at high risk for one of the conditions, it must be confirmed with a sample of the amniotic fluid or placenta.
Normally, the response time is 10 days.
No, it is a completely normal blood test taken from the pregnant woman's arm. The blood test therefore does not pose a risk to the fetus.
