Comparing Prenatal Genetic Tests (NIPT): BilliontoOne Unity test, LabCorp MaterniT21 test, Myriad Prequel test, and Natera Panorama test
Prenatal genetic testing is a tool for expectant parents to learn about their baby’s health early in pregnancy. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) analyzes a small blood sample from the pregnant person to determine if a pregnancy is at a higher chance to be affected with certain (not all) genetic conditions. There are many different labs and companies that offer NIPT. Below is a comparison of four labs that offer NIPT — BilliontoOne Unity test, LabCorp MaterniT21 test, Myriad Prequel test, and Natera Panorama test.
Always confirm with your provider and/or the company whether the test offered is validated for the specific circumstances of your pregnancy (e.g., egg donor, surrogate, twins).
How long to receive results?
- On average, all these tests have a 1-2 week turnaround time for results. In some cases, results may return in 3-5 days.
BilliontoOne Unity test
- Key Features
- Combines NIPT with carrier screening in a single test
- Screens for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, trisomy 13
- Optional add-ons: fetal sex, sex chromosome aneuploidies, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
- Screens pregnant person to determine if they carry certain recessive genetic conditions, including cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, alpha thalassemia, beta thalassemia, sickle cell disease, and Fragile X syndrome (optional).
- If a pregnant person is identified as a carrier for any of these conditions, Unity determines the chance the baby could be affected, typically without having to test the male reproductive partner.
- Can determine if a fetus is RhD positive or negative. This can help determine if a pregnant person should receive RhoGAM. Fetal RhD status testing is typically only performed if the pregnant person is Rh-negative. This is because Rh-negative individuals are at risk of developing Rh incompatibility if their fetus is Rh-positive.
- The accuracy of fetal RhD status is >99.9%.
- Can determine if a fetus is positive for other antigens, including C, c, E, K (Kell), and Fya (Duffy).
- Benefits
- Simplifies testing by combining screening for common chromosome conditions and certain other genetic conditions into one test.
- In most cases, does not require a sample from the male reproductive partner (typically, carrier screening is first performed on the pregnant person and then if they are a carrier, the reproductive partner is tested to determine if a pregnancy has an increased chance to be affected with certain genetic conditions).
- No call rate
- When in pregnancy?
- Anytime after 9 weeks gestation
- Example report
- Not available
LabCorp MaterniT21
- Key Features
- Screens for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, trisomy 13
- Optional add-ons: fetal sex, sex chromosome aneuploidies, trisomy 16, trisomy 22, 7 different microdeletion syndromes (22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Cri-du-chat syndrome, 1p36 deletion syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Jacobsen syndrome, Langer-Giedion syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome)
- This company also offers MaterniT GENOME, which screens all 23 chromosome pairs for large deletions and duplications of genetic material, in addition to select microdeletions
- Benefits
- Offers customizable options as described above.
- When in pregnancy?
- Anytime after 9 weeks gestation
- Example report
Myriad Prequel Test
- Key Features
- Screens for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, trisomy 13
- Optional add-ons: sex chromosome aneuploidies (includes fetal sex), 6 different microdeletion syndromes (22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Cri-du-chat syndrome, 1p36 deletion syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome)
- This company also offers “expanded aneuploidy” screening, which screens all 23 chromosome pairs for large deletions and duplications of genetic material beyond chromosomes 21, 18, 13, X, and Y.
- Screens for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, trisomy 13
- Benefits
- This company currently has the lowest test failure rate. This means there is a lower likelihood of needing a redraw due to insufficient fetal DNA.
- Can be performed as early as 8 weeks gestation
- No call rate
- When in pregnancy?
- Anytime after 8 weeks gestation
- Example report
Natera Panorama
- Key Features
- Screens for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and triploidy
- Optional add-ons: sex chromosome aneuploidies, fetal sex, and 6 different microdeletion syndromes (22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Cri-du-chat syndrome, 1p36 deletion syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome)
- Benefits
- Only NIPT company that offers screening for triploidy
- No call rate
- When in pregnancy?
- Anytime after 9 weeks gestation
- Example reports
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How accurate is screening for fetal sex with NIPT?
- None of these tests are 100% accurate in predicting fetal sex. There are many different reasons why NIPT may not be accurate in predicting fetal sex. For example, if a pregnant person received an organ transplant from a male organ donor, there may be Y chromosome circulating in their blood. This test may detect that Y chromosome, and inaccurately report that the fetus is predicted to be male.
Expecting TWINS? Here is what you need to know about these tests:
- All tests described above will screen a twin pregnancy for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. In general, the detection rate for trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 is lower in twins when compared to a singleton.
- BilliontoOne Unity: This test will report out the predicted fetal sex of both twins and zygosity. In twins, this test can only screen for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, and fetal antigen status. This test cannot screen for sex chromosome aneuploidies in twins and screening for single-gene conditions (such as cystic fibrosis) cannot be performed. If a twin gestation was achieved with donor egg, screening for chromosome conditions cannot be performed.
- LabCorp MaterniT21: This test cannot determine zygosity of twins. This test will report out the predicted fetal sex of both twins (if Y chromosome detected, based on amount of Y chromosome that is present, the test predicts the likelihood of one or both twins being male). In twins, this test can only screen for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, trisomy 16, trisomy 22, and 7 select microdeletions. This test cannot screen for sex chromosome aneuploidy in twins. MaterniT GENOME is not available for twins.
- Myriad Prequel: This test will report out the predicted fetal sex of both twins. In twins, this test can only screen for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. This test cannot determine zygosity of twins and cannot screen for sex chromosome aneuploidy.
- Natera Panorama: This test will report out the predicted fetal sex of both twins and zygosity. For monozygotic (identical) twins, this test can only screen for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, sex chromosome aneuploidy and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. For dizygotic (nonidentical) twins, this test can only screen for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13.
- If you have a vanishing twin pregnancy, speak to your healthcare provider and/or a genetic counselor about the limitations of NIPT in your pregnancy.
- Currently, most NIPT testing is not validated for pregnancies with more than two fetuses. LabCorp’s MaterniT21 test is available for triplets or higher order multiples. No-call rates in these pregnancies are greater than 20%.
About microdeletion testing:
- ACOG does not currently recommend routine screening for microdeletion syndromes in the general population. This is due to the low prevalence of these conditions and the relatively high false-positive rates associated with testing for microdeletions.
- If you desire information about microdeletions, speak to your healthcare provider or a prenatal genetic counselor about diagnostic testing, such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, with chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). CMA can detect hundreds of rare microdeletion syndromes and therefore, is much more comprehensive than NIPT.
Is prenatal genetic testing right for you?
- Schedule a 1-on-1 video consult with Allay Life here. We have availability within 1-2 days and can help you make the right decision about prenatal genetic testing for you and your family.
- Watch this video to help you decide.
Please note this document was created on 2/12/25 and information contained within is subject to change.
