Know what to expect
As early as week 10, find out if your baby has an increased risk for conditions like Down, Edwards, or Patau Syndromes.
If you’re pregnant, the Myriad Prequel Prenatal Screen is a noninvasive screen ordered by your healthcare provider that you can take as early as 10 weeks into your pregnancy to learn about your baby’s chance of having a chromosome abnormality leading to a condition like Down syndrome.
If you’re also interested in learning about inherited conditions you and your partner may pass onto a child, learn about our Foresight® Carrier Screen here
All we need is a simple blood draw from your arm, causing no increased risk to you or your pregnancy. By analyzing small pieces of DNA from your baby’s placenta, called cell-free DNA, we can determine the chance that your baby has a chromosome abnormality associated with a certain genetic condition. Results are available in approximately 7-10 days.
The Prequel Prenatal Screen has the lowest test failure rate in the industry, which translates to a lower chance of needing a repeat test or an unnecessary invasive diagnostic procedure. We use advanced science and technology that works for pregnant women of all ages, including those with twin and IVF pregnancies.
Most babies have 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. Occasionally, a baby will have an extra chromosome, which can lead to health issues including birth defects and intellectual disabilities. This is called a trisomy. Down syndrome is an example of a trisomy.
The sex chromosomes determine whether a baby will be male (XY) or female (XX). Sometimes there may be too many or too few sex chromosomes, resulting in potential health issues.
Sometimes a tiny piece of a chromosome is missing. This is called a microdeletion. Microdeletions can lead to birth defects and intellectual disabilities.
Aneuploidies, or having too many or too few chromosomes, can also occur in other chromosomes (beyond 13, 18, 21, and sex chromosomes). This can lead to health issues or indicate an issue with the placenta.
Most women get reassuring results that their pregnancy is at low risk for chromosome abnormalities. If your screen turns up something unusual, your healthcare provider will discuss what it means and will offer a follow-up diagnostic procedure to confirm the results. This may be chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis.
The Prequel Prenatal Screen is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. This means it cannot give a definitive answer as to whether or not your pregnancy is affected by a chromosome condition. To confirm positive screening results, you will need to have a follow-up diagnostic test or discuss other options with your provider.
Knowing your child requires a certain type of care before birth means you can involve the right kind of specialist long before delivery.
You might want to seek out a specialized facility that is equipped to manage newborns with chromosome conditions.
You may simply want to talk with one of our patient educators or work with a support group to understand what could lie ahead.
“Taking it has helped me sleep better because getting answers is a huge relief.”
Lacey, Prequel Prenatal Screen patient
Myriad Genetics is in-network with most major insurance plans. We also have financial assistance and payment plans to help you handle a high deductible if you have one.