Why is non-invasive testing recommended for IVF babies?

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for IVF pregnancies primarily involves drawing peripheral blood from the pregnant woman between 12 and 27 weeks of gestation. Using next-generation sequencing technology, this test sequences cell-free fetal DNA fragments in the maternal plasma to assess the risk of fetal aneuploidies, mainly screening for the three most common chromosomal abnormalities: trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13.

IVF pregnancies can undergo non-invasive DNA testing, and even twin pregnancies may be considered for NIPT. However, in twin pregnancies, the number of detected cases for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13 via non-invasive genetic testing is relatively low, which should be taken into account. Furthermore, regardless of whether preimplantation genetic testing was performed during the IVF process, standard prenatal screening and diagnostic procedures should still be followed, and non-invasive testing may still be necessary when indicated.

For pregnant women who conceived through IVF and are preparing for non-invasive prenatal screening, singleton pregnancy must first be confirmed before 11 weeks of gestation. Blood sampling for non-invasive prenatal screening can only be conducted at least 8 weeks after confirmation of a singleton pregnancy. Additionally, pregnant women who conceived via third-generation IVF (with preimplantation genetic testing) must undergo invasive prenatal diagnosis and should not rely solely on non-invasive prenatal screening.