Pregnancy
What is NIPT and why are more women choosing it?
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is becoming a common part of antenatal care across the UK.
Offering a safe, highly accurate way to screen for certain genetic and chromosomal conditions in early pregnancy, NIPT is increasingly chosen by expectant parents who want clearer, earlier insight into their baby’s health.
As of June 2021, NIPT has been added to the NHS screening pathway for pregnant women with a higher chance result from standard first- or second-trimester screening.
But while the NHS offer is focused on three core conditions, a growing number of private providers now offer more comprehensive screening options—and many women are choosing to go further.
Understanding How NIPT Works
NIPT works by analysing cell-free DNA found in maternal blood. From as early as 9 weeks, small fragments of fetal DNA originating from the placenta can be detected in the bloodstream. By sequencing and examining this DNA, NIPT can estimate the chance of conditions such as Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome, and Patau’s syndrome.
It’s important to note that NIPT is a screening test, not a diagnostic one. A high-chance result does not confirm the condition, and follow-up diagnostic testing—such as amniocentesis or CVS—is required. Likewise, a low-chance result cannot guarantee the baby is unaffected.
Watch on on YouTube a breakdown of how NIPT works:
NIPT on the NHS: What’s Included
Since 1 June 2021, the NHS has integrated NIPT into its Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) for those identified as higher chance through standard screening.
Currently, the NHS NIPT screens for only three chromosomal conditions: Down’s syndrome (Trisomy 21), Edwards’ syndrome (Trisomy 18), and Patau’s syndrome (Trisomy 13). Eligibility is based on a risk result between 1 in 2 and 1 in 150 following the combined or quadruple test.
NHS guidance is clear that NIPT cannot be performed in specific cases, such as recent blood transfusion, certain cancer treatments, or the presence of a vanished twin. The NHS test does not report on fetal sex, other chromosomal abnormalities, or single-gene disorders.
According to data, around 1 in every 671 pregnancies in the UK is affected by one of these three conditions, making early, safe testing an important step for many.
This increased detection reflects the broader scope of conditions being screened—many of which now have potential treatment options either before or immediately after birth. In fact, researchers have recently identified nearly 300 genetic disorders considered treatable foetal findings, meaning they can be managed through prenatal or early postnatal interventions.
These conditions include heart defects, metabolic imbalances, and gastrointestinal disorders that can be stabilised or treated immediately after birth—sometimes even during pregnancy. With the help of genomic sequencing and family history analysis, these findings open the door to earlier, more proactive care.
Private NIPT: Basic vs Advanced Screening
Outside the NHS, private providers offer NIPT to anyone looking for earlier reassurance or broader screening.
Basic NIPT in private settings mirrors the NHS offer, screening only for the three most common trisomies. It’s a popular option for parents who want earlier access or more control over their care.
While basic NIPT focuses on Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome—which together affect approximately 1 in 671 pregnancies in the UK—advanced NIPT screens for additional conditions that, collectively, are more prevalent than many parents realise.
When these are included, the likelihood of detecting a potential genetic finding rises significantly, with some studies estimating that advanced panels identify actionable findings in as many as 1 in 126 pregnancies.
This increased detection is not due to a higher false positive rate, but reflects the broader scope of conditions being screened—many of which have established management plans or clinical relevance during pregnancy and early childhood.
Learn more about NIPT statistics: https://www.jeen.health/nipt/nipt-statistics
Why More Parents Are Choosing NIPT
There are several reasons why NIPT is gaining popularity. First and foremost, it is non-invasive and safe, involving only a simple blood draw from the mother. This makes it far less risky than procedures like amniocentesis or CVS, which carry a small risk of miscarriage.
It’s also highly accurate, with tests such as Panorama™ showing over 99 percent sensitivity for Down’s syndrome. These technologies also maintain strong specificity, reducing false positives and the emotional toll of uncertain results.
NIPT can be done early in pregnancy, typically from 9 or 10 weeks, offering information well ahead of the 20-week anomaly scan. This can be crucial for parents wanting time to plan or seek further support.
And unlike traditional screening, modern advanced NIPT panels cover a broader range of genetic and chromosomal conditions—including some that may not present at birth, but have long-term health implications.
Leading Providers in the UK
Several well-known clinics now offer NIPT across the UK. The London Pregnancy Clinic offers the SMART Test and PrenatalSafe, combining US and UK lab capabilities.
Concepto Diagnostics runs the Concepto-NIPT test with a strong focus on accuracy and fast turnaround.
CRGH offers the Neo5® platform, and The Medical Chambers Kensington provides testing using Illumina’s high-precision technology.
Each provider differs slightly in terms of lab location, result timing, and which conditions are screened—but all aim to provide peace of mind and clarity early in pregnancy.
Jeen’s New At-Home NIPT: Accessible and Clinically Guided
One of the most recent entries into the space is Jeen, a UK digital health provider specialising in genetic testing. Jeen now offers NIPT with at-home nurse visits or in-clinic testing at Spital Clinic, its partner GP practice in Shoreditch.
What makes Jeen’s service stand out is its emphasis on clinical oversight and accessibility. Every parent speaks with a genetic counsellor before testing to understand what NIPT can and cannot do.
Jeen’s obstetric team reviews scan reports to confirm eligibility and appropriateness for testing.
Once blood is drawn—either at home or in the clinic—results are returned within 2 to 10 days, with the option for post-test counselling.
Jeen also offers advanced NIPT panels, including screening for microdeletions and sex chromosome abnormalities, giving parents broader insight than what the NHS currently provides.
The experience is designed to be supportive, flexible and clinically robust—ideal for those who want clear guidance and expert support without needing to attend multiple hospital appointments.
The Future of NIPT in the UK
NIPT reflects a wider trend in maternity care: personalised, preventive medicine, made accessible through genomic technology.
While the NHS has made an important step in expanding access to NIPT for high-risk pregnancies, private services are offering more people a chance to act earlier and understand more.
Whether through the NHS or private providers, the goal is the same—to empower parents with knowledge and give them time to make informed decisions.
Type 2 diabetes diagnoses are rising twice as fast in women under 40 as in women over 40, new data shows.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition and can lead to complications such as heart attacks and strokes. When it develops in younger people, it can be more aggressive and have more severe and acute effects.
Diagnoses in women under 40 rose by 47 per cent between 2017/18 and 2023/24. By comparison, diagnoses rose by 22 per cent in women aged 40 to 79.
During the same period, type 2 diabetes diagnoses in men under 40 increased by 34 per cent.
Diabetes UK said it is concerned about the follow-up care offered to women who have had gestational diabetes, also known as GDM, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually goes away after birth, but it raises the risk of type 2 diabetes later.
Colette Marshall, chief executive at Diabetes UK, said: “These figures should be a wake-up call. Type 2 diabetes is rising twice as fast in younger women compared to older women, and a crucial opportunity for prevention is being missed. Every diagnosis is life-changing, but when it develops in younger people, type 2 diabetes is even more aggressive.
“Pregnancy shouldn’t be a pathway to ill health. Yet despite facing a much higher risk of type 2 diabetes, too many women with GDM receive little or no follow-up care after pregnancy.
“As the Government turns its Strategy into action, support for women who have had gestational diabetes must not be overlooked.”
Last year, the NHS published the first national GDM audit for England in 2024/25, which revealed inconsistencies in follow-up care.
Only 57 per cent of women with GDM received an annual HbA1c test, which should be offered to every woman with GDM.
An HbA1c test measures average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months.
Only 4.5 per cent of women had received support through the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
The report also found that 11 per cent of women developed prediabetes within five years of having GDM, while 15 per cent developed type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
Prediabetes means blood sugar levels are higher than normal and a person has a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A recent survey funded by Diabetes UK also found that more than a third of women with GDM felt abandoned by healthcare services after giving birth.
If you live in England and have had gestational diabetes, you can self-refer to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, which supports people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, you can speak to your GP about support.
Diabetes UK has written to women’s health minister Baroness Merron calling for urgent improvements to postnatal support for those diagnosed with GDM during pregnancy.
GDM affects between 10 and 20 per cent of pregnant women, but Diabetes UK said cases have long been underreported and UK-wide data on the condition has not been readily available.
The charity said poor follow-up care for women who have had GDM may be contributing to rising rates of type 2 diabetes in younger women.
It is calling for consistent postnatal follow-ups for women after GDM, more referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, greater accountability for improvements in postnatal care, and action on inequalities affecting women from deprived and minority ethnic communities.
System C has completed the national rollout of BadgerNet Maternity across all seven NHS Health Boards in Wales. This is the first time any UK nation has unified its maternity care under a single digital record and patient-facing app.
With approximately 26,000 babies born annually in Wales, BadgerNet connects maternity information across organisational boundaries in the country.
Expectant parents can access their records, maternity appointments and key updates digitally through a single app, wherever they receive care while clinicians have secure access to the right information at the point of care.
The national three-year agreement across all Heath Boards replaces a patchwork of separate local systems and eliminates the need for paper hand-held notes.
Anthony Tracey is director of digital at Hywel Dda University Health Board, the final of the Welsh Health Boards to go live with BadgerNet.
He said: “The rollout of BadgerNet across Wales is a vitally important step forward in modernising our maternity services and providing a consistent service across the country.
“By giving expectant parents direct access to their information and enabling clinicians to share data more effectively, we are strengthening safety, transparency and consistency in maternity care nationwide.”
For expectant parents, the single digital maternity record transforms how they engage with their care.
Instead of carrying paper notes and repeating information at every appointment, parents can access key details, appointments and updates digitally, supporting more informed conversations and shared decision-making.
The result is greater transparency, fewer administrative frustrations and a more joined-up experience throughout pregnancy and into the postnatal period, regardless of which health board they fall under.
For clinicians and Health Boards, the joined-up approach reduces duplication and streamlines handovers across teams and sites. Information is digitally captured once and made available securely wherever it is needed, helping to minimise errors, reduce time spent tracking down notes and support more efficient multidisciplinary working.
At a national level, linking maternity data across Wales creates a foundation for safer, more consistent care.
Aggregated, standardised information enables earlier identification of trends and variation, supports evidence-based policy decisions and enhances long-term service planning.
With a comprehensive view of maternity activity and outcomes across the country, Wales is now better positioned to raise standards for parents, babies and families.
Guy Lucchi, managing director of healthcare at System C, added: “Delivering a truly national approach across all seven Health Boards is a significant achievement for Wales.
“One shared system means information flows with the patient, not the organisation.
“That reduces duplication, supports earlier identification of risk and frees up valuable clinical time.
“Crucially, linking maternity data at a national level provides powerful insight to drive improvement. Health Boards can benchmark, plan services with greater confidence and ensure resources are targeted where they are needed most, while expectant parents benefit from clearer communication and a more connected experience of care.”
Early birth may cut serious complications and stillbirth risk in high blood pressure pregnancies without increasing caesarean rates, a Cochrane review suggests.
Planned early birth after 34 weeks cut serious maternal complications by nearly half compared with watchful waiting, the findings suggest.
It also likely reduced the risk of stillbirth by about 75 per cent, although the authors said this should be interpreted with caution.
Catherine Cluver, senior author of the review and researcher at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, said: “These findings give clinicians and women clearer guidance about the timing of birth when high blood pressure develops in pregnancy.
“For women with pre-eclampsia in particular, the evidence supports offering planned early birth from 34 weeks, and no later than 37 weeks.”
This Cochrane review, led by King’s College London, pooled data from six randomised controlled trials involving 3,491 women.
The trials compared planned early birth after 34 weeks with watchful waiting in women with one or more hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension, are the second leading cause of maternal death globally.
For women with pre-eclampsia, early birth remains the only definitive treatment, as the condition is driven by the placenta and will only resolve once it is delivered.
The trials took place in the Netherlands, UK, US, India and Zambia.
The review found high-certainty evidence that serious maternal complications were nearly halved in women who had planned early birth compared with those managed with watchful waiting.
The finding on stillbirth was based on moderate-certainty evidence and was driven by a single trial in India and Zambia, where stillbirth rates are higher. No stillbirths were recorded in the high-income country trials.
The review also found that planned early birth likely does not increase neonatal unit admission, although this finding was also based on moderate-certainty evidence.
The authors said the maternal benefit held across both high- and low-income settings, suggesting early birth reduces complications even when women are already receiving appropriate monitoring and care.
Alice Beardmore-Gray, lead author of the review and obstetrician at King’s College London, said: “Judging when to offer birth is the question that we battle with clinically every day.”
The authors added that in two of the trials, more than half the women allocated to watchful waiting ended up needing emergency birth before 37 weeks.
They typically gave birth just three to five days later than women allocated to planned early birth and often experienced more complications.
Beardmore-Gray said: “A common misconception is that by waiting longer, mum and baby are gaining more time, but often what you are doing is just delaying an inevitable emergency birth, when both may be in a worse condition.”
The review found high-certainty evidence of no increased risk of caesarean section associated with planned early birth.
Beardmore-Gray said: “That is the first question anyone asks when you offer them an early induction: won’t it increase my risk of a C-section?
“Being able to clearly answer no is a really important piece of information to give women when counselling them about the timing of their birth.”
The authors said the timing of birth should take into account the woman’s preferences and the severity of her condition.
They said these findings are consistent with and reinforce current international guidelines, which recommend that all women with pre-eclampsia should be offered planned early birth no later than 37 weeks.
Women with gestational hypertension or chronic hypertension without severe features may choose to continue with careful monitoring, with planned early birth considered from 39 weeks onwards.
Further research is needed on longer-term outcomes for infants born late preterm and on the long-term cardiovascular health of mothers affected by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Menopause1 week agoPerimenopause misinformation ‘putting women at risk’
News4 weeks agoNIH Grant terminations disproportionately impact minority scientists, research finds
Insight3 weeks agoPCOS renamed after decade-long campaign to end ‘cyst’ misconception
Events4 weeks agoWUKA brings Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre to keep girls swimming through puberty
Hormonal health2 weeks agoNHS urged to update website following renaming of PCOS
Menopause4 weeks agoCBT shows promise for menopause insomnia and hot flashes
Entrepreneur1 week agoWomen’s Health Innovation Summit opens submissions for 2026 Innovation Showcase
News1 week agoThree menopause innovators shortlisted for Femtech World Award