Non-invasive Prenatal Test - Panorama or Harmony
We offer two types of Non-invasive Prenatal Tests, Panorama and Harmony.
For afternoon and Saturday appointments please use this booking link:
What is Panorama?
Panorama is a non-invasive DNA screening test that can tell you important information about your pregnancy, as early as nine weeks of gestation. With Panorama, you can find out for the likelihood of your baby having a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down syndrome, and all that’s required is a sample of your blood. If you so choose, you may also find out the gender of your baby.
Get essential genetic information about your baby as early as nine weeks into your pregnancy with the Panorama™ Prenatal Screen.
• Screens for genetic abnormalities
• Determines the baby’s gender
• Done in a single, in-office visit
• Brings no risk to your baby
Safe and Accurate
Panorama is a non-invasive and highly accurate prenatal screening test that gives you vital information about your baby’s health.
Find out more:
What is Panorama?
Panorama® is the only non-invasive prenatal screening test that distinguishes between fetal and maternal cell-free DNA thanks to SNP-based sequencing and Natera's proprietary algorithm. Using advanced bioinformatics techniques, Panorama screens for a broad panel of chromosomal conditions, including:
Chromosome Abnormalities:
• Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
• Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome)
• Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)
• Triploidy
Sex Chromosome Abnormalities:
• Monosomy X (Turner syndrome)
• Klinefelter syndrome
• Triple X syndrome
• XYY syndrome
Microdeletions:
• 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
• 1p36 deletion syndrome
• Prader Willi syndrome
• Angelman syndrome
• Cri-du-chat syndrome
• Gender of the Baby (optional)
What is Harmony?
Harmony Prenatal Test - A new DNA-based blood test for Down’s syndrome
This is a new DNA-based blood test for Down’s syndrome. It is more accurate than traditional tests and can be performed as early as 10 weeks in pregnancy.
The Harmony Non-invasive prenatal test analyses cell-free DNA circulating in the pregnant mother’s blood. It is a new option in prenatal screening for Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21) and two other chromosomal conditions, Edward’s syndrome (trisomy 18) and Patau syndrome (trisomy 13), X and Y chromosome conditions. This test can be requested for any singleton or twin pregnancy, including those conceived naturally or by IVF using the patient’s own egg or a donor egg.
Please note that sex chromosome (X and Y) analysis is not available for twin pregnancies.
About the Ariosa Harmony™ Prenatal Test
DNA from the fetus circulates in the mother’s blood. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) results from the natural breakdown of fetal cells (presumed to be mostly placental) and clears from the maternal system within hours of giving birth. During a pregnancy, cfDNA can be tested to give the most accurate screening approach in estimating the risk of a fetus having a common chromosome condition sometimes called a trisomy. This occurs when there are three copies of a particular chromosome instead of the expected two.
The test looks to detect the following:
Trisomy 21 (Down’s syndrome) is the most common trisomy at the time of birth. It is associated with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities and may also lead to digestive disease, congenital heart defects and other malformations.
Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) are associated with a high rate of miscarriage. These babies are born with severe brain abnormalities and often have congenital heart defects as well as other birth defects. Most affected individuals die before or soon after birth, and very few survive beyond the first year of life.
Sex chromosome conditions. The sex chromosomes (X and Y) determine whether we are male or female. X and Y chromosome conditions occur when there is a missing, extra, or incomplete copy of one of the sex chromosomes. The Harmony with X, Y test can assess risk for XXX, XYY, XXYY, XXY (Klinefelter syndrome), and a missing X chromosome in a girl (Turner syndrome). There is significant variability in the severity of these conditions, but most individuals have mild, physical or behavioural features. If the mother is interested in having this optional testing, she should talk with her healthcare provider to determine if it is right for her. This option is not available for twin pregnancies.
According to the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD), non-invasive prenatal testing, including Panorama, is appropriate as a primary screening test for pregnant women of all ages. Down syndrome and certain other chromosomal conditions occur more frequently in babies born to mothers over 35 years old. Other conditions for which Panorama screens – such as microdeletion syndromes – occur with the same frequency in babies, regardless of the mother’s age.
Currently, Panorama cannot be used in the following types of pregnancies:
• Multiple gestation pregnancies
• Pregnancies that are using an egg donor or a surrogate
• Pregnant women who are bone marrow transplant recipients
During pregnancy, some of the DNA from the baby crosses into mom’s bloodstream. DNA is organized in structures known as chromosomes, which carry the baby’s genetic information. Panorama uses a blood sample from the mother to analyze the baby’s DNA for certain chromosomal conditions that could affect the baby’s health.
Panorama is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT). This means that Panorama is safe for you and your baby. To have the test done, your healthcare provider just draws a sample of blood from your arm. The sample is then sent to a lab for processing.
Many pregnant women want to know about the health of their baby. If you would like information about your baby’s health, talk with your healthcare provider. He or she will advise you as to what tests you might want to have to help give you peace of mind.
The Panorama prenatal screen is designed for women of any age and ethnicity who are at least 9 weeks pregnant. It cannot currently be used by women who are carrying more than one baby (twins or triplets), women who have used a donor egg or a surrogate, or those who have received a bone marrow transplant.
Some women have a higher chance for chromosomal abnormalities because of their age, family history or other screening test results. However, certain conditions such as the microdeletions that are on Panorama’s panel affect women of all ages at the same rate. Regardless of your age or family or reproductive history, Panorama can help determine your baby’s risk of being affected with a chromosome condition.
Currently, the test screens for:
• Trisomy 21: This is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 and is also called Down syndrome. This is the most common cause of intellectual disability. It may also cause certain birth defects of the heart or other organs and may cause hearing or vision problems.
• Trisomy 18: This is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 18 and is also called Edwards syndrome. This causes severe intellectual disability. It also causes serious birth defects of the heart, brain and other organs. Babies with Edwards syndrome usually pass away before one year of age.
• Trisomy 13: This is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13 and is also called Patau syndrome. This causes severe intellectual disability. It also causes many serious birth defects. Babies with Patau syndrome usually pass away before one year of age.
• Monosomy X (also called Turner syndrome or 45, X): This is caused by a missing X chromosome and affects only girls. Girls with Monosomy X may have heart defects, hearing problems, minor learning disabilities and are usually shorter than average. As adults, they are often infertile.
• Triploidy: This condition is caused by having an extra set of 23 chromosomes (for a total of 69) and is associated with severe birth defects. A triploid pregnancy can cause serious complications for the mother, such as excessive bleeding after delivery and a risk of developing cancer. Babies with triploidy rarely make it to term and those that do usually pass away within a few months after delivery. It is important for the doctor to know about triploidy even if the mother miscarries so that she can be monitored for complications.
• Klinefelter syndrome: This is caused by an extra copy of the X chromosome, is also known as 47, XXY and only affects boys. Boys with Klinefelter syndrome may have learning disabilities, tend to be taller than average, and most men with this condition are infertile.
• Triple X syndrome: This is caused by an extra copy of the X chromosome, is also known as 47, XXX and only affects girls. Some girls with triple X syndrome have learning disabilities, some have emotional problems and most are taller than average.
• XYY syndrome: This is caused by an extra copy of the Y chromosome, is also known as 47, XYY and only affects boys. Boys with this condition tend to be taller than average and may have associated mild learning and behavioral difficulties.
• Panorama also screens for five microdeletion syndromes.
A small, missing (or “deleted”) piece of a chromosome is called a microdeletion. Unlike Down syndrome, which occurs more frequently in mothers who are 35 and older, microdeletions occur in pregnancies at the same rate for mothers of any age.
In many cases, there are no obvious ultrasound abnormalities that would suggest the fetus has a microdeletion. While many microdeletions have little impact on a child’s health and life, there are some that can cause intellectual disabilities and birth defects. Panorama screens for five microdeletions, all of which can be associated with serious health issues:
• 22q11.2 deletion syndrome / DiGeorge syndrome (occurs in about 1 in 2,000 births) Babies born with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome often have heart defects, immune system problems, and mild-to-moderate intellectual disability. They may also have kidney problems, feeding problems, and/or seizures. Up to 25% of individuals with this syndrome develop schizophrenia in adulthood.
• 1p36 deletion syndrome (occurs in about 1 in 5,000 births)
Babies born with 1p36 deletion syndrome have weak muscle tone, heart and other birth defects, intellectual disabilities, hearing loss and behavior problems. About half will have seizures.
• Angelman syndrome (occurs in about 1 in 12,000 births)
Babies born with Angelman syndrome often have delayed milestones (like sitting, crawling and walking), seizures, and problems with balance and walking. They also have a severe intellectual disability and most do not develop speech.
• Cri-du-chat syndrome, also known as 5p minus (occurs in about 1 in 20,000 births) Babies born with Cri-du-chat syndrome typically have low birth weight, small head size, and decreased muscle tone. Feeding and breathing difficulties are also common. They have a moderate-to-severe intellectual disability.
• Prader-Willi syndrome (occurs in about 1 in 10,000 births)
Babies born with Prader-Willi syndrome have low muscle tone and problems with feeding and gaining weight. They also have intellectual disability. As children and adults, they have rapid weight gain and often develop obesity-related medical problems.
Panorama is not the only screening test available during pregnancy. Older screening tests that measure hormones in a pregnant woman’s blood (called maternal serum screening tests) can also tell you if there is a high chance your baby has a chromosomal condition, such as Down syndrome. Maternal serum screening tests are less accurate than Panorama*. This means that serum screening tests are more likely than Panorama to miss certain chromosomal conditions and more likely than Panorama to indicate an abnormal chromosomal condition when none actually exists.
Panorama is a screening test; it is not a diagnostic procedure. This means that test results from Panorama only alert you of the likelihood that your baby has a chromosomal condition. To diagnose the baby – and know with certainty if the baby has a chromosomal condition – invasive diagnostic tests, such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, can be done. Both of these tests have risks, including the small chance of miscarriage.
Speak with your healthcare provider if you have more questions about your testing options.
Download our Frequently Asked Questions
Service Pricing:
Monday - Friday:
The Panorama test costs 'from £450'
The Harmony test costs 'from £450'
How do I book a Non-invasive Prenatal Test?
Cherish-UK is a private pregnancy and fertility scanning clinic, you can self refer and arrange an appointment at your convenience. To book a 3D & 4D ultrasound scan please telephone us on 0121 354 4777 or 07580 611 879, fill out our online enquiry form or email us at info@cherish-uk.com.
What Our Clients Say
