Step 1
Patient Consultation
Discuss NIPT testing with your patient and the various options available, and provide a request form. Ensure the Patient Consent section is signed.
Generation is our non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) that screens for chromosomal changes that can affect your baby's future health.
NIPT uses a blood sample from the mother to determine the chance of a chromosomal condition in the developing baby from as early as the 10th week of pregnancy. Generation is highly accurate and safe, and may help avoid more invasive prenatal testing by amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.
Three NIPT options are available:
All options provide information on the chance that your baby is affected by common chromosomal conditions including Down syndrome, and advise of the fetal sex if this is something you wish to know. Your doctor can advise on the best Generation test for your personal circumstances.
Our genetic information is found in our DNA, on structures called chromosomes. Extra or missing chromosomes can lead to chromosomal conditions that cause miscarriage or results in the birth of a child with mental or physical disabilities.
During pregnancy, some of the baby’s DNA from the placenta crosses into your bloodstream. After your blood test, the Generation NIPT tests this DNA to identify certain chromosome conditions in your pregnancy.
The Generation test can be used to obtain important and accurate information about the health of your developing baby in the first trimester (at 10 weeks), with little or no risk to the pregnancy.
This screening test may be an option for you if:
What’s more, clinical best practice guidelines from Australian and international medical societies recommend that all pregnant women, regardless of risk status, be given the opportunity to take an NIPT and other available prenatal screening and diagnostic tests.
Generation NIPT is a highly accurate, non-invasive prenatal screening test, based on whole genome sequencing (WGS) with proprietary algorithms. The test analyses circulating cell-free fetal DNA, detected from a maternal blood sample, with testing from as early as 10 weeks gestation.
The clinical utility and benefit of the Generation test has been demonstrated in all pregnant women – regardless of age or risk category – in multiple published studies of thousands of pregnant women, for both singleton and twin pregnancies. Clinical best practice guidelines from Australian and international medical societies recommend that all pregnant women, regardless of risk status, should be offered the opportunity for discussion and choice regarding NIPT.
The Generation Plus test option should be considered only when there are specific indications of an increased risk of one of these microdeletion syndromes. Typical clinical indications include, but are not limited to:
The Generation Plus test is performed in an accredited laboratory in California and has a longer turnaround time (11 – 15 business days) than other Generation options.
This test is not recommended in an unselected/low risk cohort, where the Generation or Generation 46 screen should be considered instead. It is recommended that testing for microdeletion syndromes is accompanied by specialised genetic counselling.
Step 1
Discuss NIPT testing with your patient and the various options available, and provide a request form. Ensure the Patient Consent section is signed.
Step 2
Patients are required to prepay for their Generation NIPT here and note their receipt number of the request form. They then attend their most convenient collection centre with their signed request form. Please note that Generation Plus is not collected each day.
Step 3
Results are delivered to you by your preferred method. Genetic counselling is offered free of charge for all high-risk aneuploidy results.