Overview
Unity Basic
Unity Basic is a non-invasive prenatal screening test that uses a simple blood sample from the mother. It screens for the most common chromosomal conditions, and for Rh-negative mothers it also determines the fetal RhD status.
The cost is US$450.
What It Screens For
Conditions Screened
- Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
- Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome)
- Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)
- Sex chromosome aneuploidy
- Twin zygosity determination
- 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome
- Fetal RhD status, for Rh-negative mothers
Important Note
NIPT is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. A positive result must be confirmed with a diagnostic test — CARIGEN’s QSTR Trisomy Analysis on a CVS or amniotic fluid sample. Discuss results with your doctor or genetic counsellor.
About the Conditions
Conditions Explained
A short guide to some of the conditions this test screens for. Your doctor or a genetic counsellor can tell you more.
Down syndrome (trisomy 21)
Each person with Down syndrome is an individual: intellectual and developmental delays can be mild, moderate or severe, and some people have significant health problems such as serious heart defects. Common features include a flattened face, small head, short neck, upward-slanting eyes, poor muscle tone, a single crease across the palm and short stature. Most children have mild to moderate cognitive impairment, with delayed language.
Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18)
A rare but serious condition in which a baby has three copies of chromosome 18 instead of two, usually by chance before conception. It affects how long a baby may survive: most babies die before or shortly after birth, and about 13 in 100 born alive live past their first birthday. The chance increases with maternal age, but anyone can have an affected baby. It occurs in full (most cases), mosaic (about 1 in 20, often milder) and partial (about 1 in 100) forms.
Patau syndrome (trisomy 13)
A severe chromosomal condition caused by an extra copy of all or part of chromosome 13, affecting about 1 in 10,000 to 16,000 births, more often with increasing maternal age. Babies often have heart defects (about 80%), brain or spinal cord abnormalities, a small head and eyes, cleft lip or palate and poor muscle tone. Most cases are not inherited, and the risk of recurrence in a later pregnancy is about 1%.
Sex chromosome aneuploidy
A missing or extra copy of the X or Y chromosome. Turner syndrome affects only females, when an X chromosome is missing or partly missing; it can cause short height, ovaries that do not develop and heart defects. Triple X syndrome is an extra X chromosome; many girls and women are healthy and may never know. Klinefelter syndrome is an extra X in a boy; it can mean smaller testicles, lower testosterone, reduced muscle mass and enlarged breast tissue, and is often not diagnosed until adulthood.
22q11.2 microdeletion (DiGeorge syndrome)
A small part of chromosome 22 is missing, so several body systems develop poorly. It is also known as DiGeorge or velocardiofacial syndrome. Common problems include heart defects, lowered immunity, cleft palate, low calcium levels, eye issues, hearing loss, kidney differences, and developmental, behavioral and emotional problems. The number and severity of symptoms vary, and specialists in several fields treat almost everyone with it.