Prenatal Testing - NIPT

Melbourne’s first non-invasive prenatal test offering 99% accuracy

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) using the Panorama Test is available through Melbourne IVF for women who are at least 9 weeks pregnant, and would like reassurance about the health of their unborn child. 

Melbourne IVF uses the Panorama Screen, which is a non-invasive blood test that is safe for you and your baby.  The screen provides information about whether there is a high chance that your baby has a chromosome condition, such as Down syndrome. 

Why have the Panorama NIPT test?

By having the Panorama NIPT test, it can provide an indication as to whether there is a high chance your baby has a chromosomal condition, and can therefore help you decide whether further testing on the pregnancy itself, such as a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, is something that you want to pursue.  Both CVS and amniocentesis are more invasive tests, and have associated risks, including the small chance of miscarriage.

Panorama NIPT detects >99% of the chromosome conditions for Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome), 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and 21 (Down syndrome), making it the most accurate NIPT test available. The NIPT test used at Melbourne IVF also screens for Monosomy X (Turner Syndrome) with 92% sensitivity, and will report if it is detected or not, unlike competing technologies that are either unable to report a negative result or even detect it at all.

In addition to the above screens, now available at Melbourne IVF are the following Panorama screens for the most common and severe microdeletion syndromes: 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (DiGeorge Syndrome), 1p36 Deletion Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Cri-du-chat Syndrome (5P Minus) and Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Who is the test suitable for?

The Panorama test is suitable for women who are at least 9 weeks pregnant.  Whilst the test is available for anyone who would like to access it, patients who have a higher chance of chromosome variations may be more inclined to choose to access the test.  These include:

  • Women of advanced maternal age
  • Family history of chromosomal errors
  • Early ultrasound scan shows variations
  • First trimester screening shows variations

Please note that the test is also suitable for women who are carrying more than one baby (twins), surrogates, women who have used an egg donor or embryos, or have received a bone marrow transplant. Twin zygosity is tested and reported. The test is unsuitable for women whose pregnancy has resulted from a consanguineous relationship.

How does Panorama NIPT screening work?

During pregnancy, some of the DNA from the baby crosses into the mother’s bloodstream.  DNA carries the baby’s genetic information on chromosomes. This Panorama NIPT laboratory test uses a blood sample from the mother to find the baby’s DNA to look for certain chromosome conditions that could affect the baby’s health.
To have the test, a small sample of blood is drawn from the mother’s arm.  Fathers (if available) supply a cheek swab along with the mother’s blood.  Including the father’s sample may improve the performance of the test in certain circumstances.

How can I access the test?

If you are a Melbourne IVF patient, speak to your Melbourne IVF fertility specialist about whether they are able to request the test for you, or whether they recommend organising the test through your Obstetrician.

If you are a non-Melbourne IVF patient, ask with your obstetrician or GP to request the test for you using the following request form and clinician fact sheet. 

Once you have received the pathology request form from your doctor, visit one of the following Melbourne IVF clinics for your blood test:

How will I receive my results?

Results will be sent to your doctor within 2 – 3 weeks.  Your doctor will contact you to discuss the test results with you.

For more information on the NIPT test, call 1800 111 483 or complete the form below.