Less than 14 Weeks Pregnant
In your first trimester of pregnancy, you may be able to choose from the following tests:
| Enhanced First Trimester Screening
You can get publicly-funded Enhanced First Trimester Screening (eFTS) in the first trimester of pregnancy. This test is safe because it uses only an ultrasound and blood test. It can tell you the chance of having a baby with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) or trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome).
| Non-invasive Prenatal Testing
Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is the most accurate prenatal genetic screening test and may be publicly-funded or private-pay depending on your situation. This test is safe because it uses only a blood test. NIPT can tell you the chance for having a baby with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and other chromosome differences. You can have NIPT from the time you are 9 or 10 weeks pregnant until the end of the pregnancy.
| 11-14 week (nuchal translucency) ultrasound
The 11-14 week (nuchal translucency) ultrasound can be done as part of enhanced First Trimester Screening or on its own. No matter what prenatal genetic screening choice you make, you can have this ultrasound to get information about the growth and development of the baby.
Contact Us
Prenatal Screening Ontario
CHEO Research Institute
Centre for Practice-Changing Research Building
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1
Information line
Phone: 613-737-2281
Toll-Free: 1-833-351-6490
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST
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