Introduction

Down syndrome is a serious chromosome abnormality that affects approximately 1 out of every 800 pregnancies. The more you know about assessing its risks, the better prepared you are to provide reliable, often reassuring news to your patients; as early as during the first trimester of pregnancy.

NTD Labs' First Trimester Screen | Fß protocol is the standard of care in first trimester Down syndrome screening. It utilizes advanced immunoassay blood screening and NT ultrasound measurement to enable you to assess your patient’s risk for Down syndrome faster and more reliably, with detection rates as high as 91% at false positive rates as low as 5% (95% detection rate at a 2% false positive when including an optional fetal nasal bone assessment). (References 13,25) The procedures are non-invasive and totally safe, resulting in fewer logistical complications and unnecessary risks to both mother and fetus.

• For those shown to be at low risk, First Trimester Screen | Fß reduces the use of unnecessary diagnostic procedures that increase health risks to patient and fetus
• For those shown to be at increased risk, First Trimester Screen | Fß gives the patient and physician more time to consider follow-up diagnostic options such as CVS (chorionic villus sampling) or amniocentesis
• The test is safe, simple and non-invasive, so patients are more likely to undergo this screening
• Provides separate twin results reports
• Provides separate trisomy 18 and 13 results

Clinically proven and validated by 23 population-based studies examining over 260,700 pregnant women, including 2 NIH-sponsored studies (BUN and FaSTER), the First Trimester Screen | Fß (NT/, PAPP-A, free beta hCG) protocol is a patented methodology pioneered by NTD Labs, an innovator in prenatal screening since 1976.

Visit the Maternal Marker Testing and Molecular Testing sections for additional details about our testing services