The Harmony™ Prenatal Test: A non-invasive approach to the detection of common fetal trisomies
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April 23, 2013|ObGyn
Author and Disclosure Information
Monte R. Swarup, MD, FACOG
Associate Managing Partner, New Horizons Women's Care, Chandler, Arizona, and Secretary, Arizona OBGYN Affiliates, Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr Swarup reports that he is on the National Women's Health Advisory Board for Laboratory Corporation for America® Holdings.
Most developed countries offer genetic screening and testing for aneuploidy as a standard part of prenatal care. Conventional screening requires a consideration of maternal age in the context of serum markers or ultrasonographic measurement of nuchal translucency or other fetal structures. Moreover, this conventional method of screening is associated with a false-positive rate of at least 2% to 3% and a false-negative rate of 5% or more.1 Abnormal results necessitate the use of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to sample fetal cells and achieve a diagnosis. Even when these invasive diagnostic procedures are performed carefully by the most experienced practitioners, however, they carry a small risk of fetal injury and pregnancy loss.
