At present, NIPT provides information about specific fetal aneuploidies, or chromosomal abnormalities. According to the US National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics, all laboratories offering NIPT report on Down's syndrome and Edwards syndrome.
Others may also provide information about Patau syndrome or some sex chromosome abnormalities and microdeletions.
Down's syndrome is the most common trisomy and the single most common cause of intellectual disability. It can be associated with a number of physical problems, including congenital heart defects, hearing impairment and eye disorders.
Maternal age is a risk factor for the condition. By age 35, a woman's risk of conceiving a child with Down's syndrome is about one in 385. By age 45, the risk is about one in 30.
Edwards syndrome is the second most common trisomy seen at birth. It can cause severe physical, mental, and organ defects, such as cleft palate, club foot, kidney defects and congenital heart defects. Many babies with this condition don't survive beyond a few months. Incidence is one in 6,000 live births.