At Piñon Perinatal, our genetic counselors are available to speak with you about the options of first and second trimester screening for Down syndrome, trisomy 18 and spina bifida, as well as a non-invasive prenatal testing method called cell-free fetal DNA. Although all patients begin with an age-related risk for having a baby with a chromosome problem such as Down syndrome or trisomy 18, these screens allow us to identify pregnancies that may be at a higher risk of being affected by one of these chromosome conditions or spina bifida. First and second trimester screens and cell-free fetal DNA do not pose any risk to the baby. As with any type of screening tests, some patients can have false positive or false negative results.
If the first or second trimester screen results return as positive, we recommend meeting with our genetic counselors to review the finding in detail and discuss other further testing options.
We understand that an important issue to consider when discussing screening or testing options is ultimately the cost to you. Our genetic counselors are experienced in working with various insurance companies and will ensure that the options available for you are tailored to account for any out-of-pocket costs.