Which is better, amniocentesis or non-invasive DNA?
Prenatal check-up is a very important thing during pregnancy. It can detect fetal health problems early and lay the foundation for a smooth delivery in the later stages of pregnancy. Amniocentesis and non-invasive DNA are two common prenatal check-up methods. During prenatal check-up, many expectant mothers have a headache and don’t know which method to choose. So, which one is better, amniocentesis or non-invasive DNA? This article will conduct a detailed comparison from four aspects to let everyone understand the advantages and disadvantages of the two prenatal examination methods and provide a reference for expectant mothers.
1. Detection accuracy
Amniocentesis is to extract the amniotic fluid containing fetal cells, culture the cells and then conduct chromosome analysis, which can achieve an accuracy of more than 99%. However, this procedure poses certain risks to both mother and fetus, and may lead to miscarriage or pregnancy complications, so its application is subject to certain limitations.
Non-invasive DNA testing collects the blood of pregnant women and extracts fetal DNA for subsequent analysis. Compared with amniocentesis, the accuracy of non-invasive DNA testing can reach more than 99%, but non-invasive DNA testing is relatively safer and does not require It will bring great hidden dangers to the mother and fetus.
To sum up, non-invasive DNA testing is comparable to amniocentesis in terms of detection accuracy, but non-invasive DNA testing is safer.
2. Range of detection objects
Amniocentesis can detect some genetic diseases that cannot be detected by non-invasive DNA testing, such as thalassemia and other genetic diseases. Non-invasive DNA testing can currently detect abnormalities in the number of chromosomes in babies, and has already achieved good results in detecting trisomy syndrome. However, non-invasive DNA testing cannot detect some single-gene diseases, karyotype rearrangements, and chromosomal microdeletions.
Amniocentesis is superior to non-invasive DNA testing in terms of scope of detection objects.
3. Detection time
Amniocentesis is generally performed between 16 and 18 weeks of pregnancy, and some preparations need to be made before the test. After the test is completed, you still need to wait for the cell culture, which usually takes about 1-2 weeks. Therefore, the entire testing time takes up to 3-4 weeks.
Non-invasive DNA testing is relatively fast and can usually be performed around 9 weeks into pregnancy, and the test results are available within 2 weeks. Relatively speaking, the entire testing time is much faster.
To sum up, in terms of testing time, non-invasive DNA testing is faster than amniocentesis.
4. Testing cost
Amniocentesis is a relatively complex operation that requires a series of preparations such as surgery, so the cost is relatively high, generally around 2,000-3,000 yuan.
Although non-invasive DNA testing is not cheap, it is still more affordable than amniocentesis., and will fluctuate according to the supply and demand relationship in each detection market.
To sum up, in terms of testing cost, non-invasive DNA testing is cheaper than amniocentesis.
Summary
In summary, amniocentesis and non-invasive DNA testing each have their own advantages and disadvantages. In terms of detection accuracy, the two methods are basically the same, but they have different performances in terms of detection object range, detection time and detection cost. Therefore, in actual use, the appropriate prenatal examination method should be selected according to the specific situation.
