FAQ

Who can take the test?
Any pregnant woman who wishes to. The test does not detect pregnancy, but only the presence of chromosome Y in pregnant women. If a non-pregnant woman does this test, the result will be girl, as in this case the test can only confirm the absence of male DNA.

Is there a more appropriate gestational age for conducting this test?
No. The test can be done in any pregnancy stage, but its accuracy increases with advancing pregnancy. Ideally, the test should be carried out from the 8th week of pregnancy, for more reliable results.

Does having had previous pregnancies of boys or girls interfere in the result?
No. Fetal DNA is rapidly eliminated from maternal circulation a few hours after birth.

What if it is a gemelar pregnancy (twins)?
In monozygotic twins (identical), the result is valid for both. In fraternal twins (more than one placenta), if the test result is boy, at least one of the twins is a boy. If the test result is girl, both twins are girls.

How long the results take?
Five working days, at the most.

Can there be any inconclusive results?
Yes, in approximately 5% of the cases, especially if the mother is in the first 7 weeks of pregnancy. In these cases, a new sample is taken 2-3 weeks later.

Can the test reveal any anomaly in the fetus?
At the moment, the test we offer is not intended for the diagnostic of fetal malformations, and is only for early determination of fetal sex.

A news item appeared in the media about a similar test which is available in the USA that has been causing some controversy. Is it the same test?
No. Despite the American test (babygerndermentor) being also a non-invasive test for early detection of fetal gender, there are three big differences between that test and the one we offer. First, the American test is offered from the 5th week of pregnancy, while the one we offer should be conducted after the 8th week of pregnancy. This increases the method sensitivity. Second, the American test format allows the pregnant woman to have her blood collected at home, by finger pricking some drops of blood onto a special collection paper. On the one hand, despite having the advantage of being more convenient, this collection method can only analyse a small sample amount. On the other, blood collected at home (and not in a controlled or sterile laboratory environment) increases contamination risk and the probability of false results.

What can cause wrong results?
When the result points to pregnancy of a female foetus which later turns out to be a pregnancy of a male foetus, the simplest explanation is lack of sensitivity of the test. As the test sensitivity is controlled to be the same in all analyses, there was probably a very small amount of fetal DNA in maternal plasma at the collection time, which the test was unable to detect.
Conversely, that is when the result points to a male foetus and is later proven to be a female, the causes are less clear. One possibility that ought to be taken into account is when the mother was subject to hyperovulation and/or in vitro fertilization, where the probability of multiple pregnancies (2 or more embryos) is high. In these cases, it is not unusual that one or more embryos do not survive, and there are studies which show that detection of DNA from these embryos can occur until 2 weeks after, for instance, an abortion. If one of these embryos is male, it could explain this type of incoherence between the results in the fetal sex determination test and the sex of the developing foetus. Another possible explanation is that the mother may have received a blood transfusion or organ transplant from a man. We must bear in mind that these are extremely rare errors.

Can this test select the child's gender?
This is a gender diagnostic test. This is not a test for selecting the child’s gender and is totally different from the technique designated as preimplantation diagnostic for child gender selection before the embryo is implanted in the mother’s uterus (womb). The fetal gender determination test does not allow gender selection, but only provides information (such as in an ultrasound scan, but earlier) on the gender of the future baby.