A–Z Glossary

Cell-free DNA

DNA fragments circulating in a pregnant person’s blood, some of which originate from placental cells and reflect fetal chromosomes.

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Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)

What NIPT is and why it is used NIPT is a prenatal screening test performed on a blood sample from the pregnant person. The sample contains circulating cell-free DNA, often called cfDNA. During pregnancy, a portion of this cfDNA comes from placental cells, which usually reflect the fetal chromosomal complement. By analyzing patterns in this […]