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Clinical Feasibility of Early First-Trimester Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing: Associations Between Gestational Age,
Trinh The Son1, Sang Trieu Tien2, Tran Van Khoa2
1Department of Embryology and Histology, Military Institute of Clinical Embryology and Histology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 12108, Vietnam.
The Application of Clinical Genetics
|May 5, 2026
Summary
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is feasible before 10 weeks gestation. Early NIPT shows reliable performance, with no-call rates similar to later testing, supporting its use for early screening.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Prenatal Diagnostics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) screens for fetal aneuploidies using cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA).
- Optimal gestational age for early first-trimester NIPT (<10 weeks) requires further definition.
- Fetal fraction (FF) is crucial for NIPT success and increases with gestational age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and performance of NIPT in early first-trimester pregnancies (<10 weeks gestation).
- To assess factors influencing fetal fraction and no-call results in early NIPT.
- To compare NIPT outcomes between early (<10 weeks) and later (≥10 weeks) first-trimester testing.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 9,708 singleton pregnancies undergoing first-trimester NIPT.
- Gestational age determined by crown-rump length (CRL).
- Multivariable regression analyses adjusted for maternal age and BMI to assess predictors of FF and no-call results.
Main Results:
- Fetal fraction significantly increased with gestational age.
- Testing at ≥10 weeks showed higher FF than <10 weeks (adjusted β = 1.58, p < 0.001).
- Gestational age was not an independent predictor of no-call results (adjusted OR = 0.88, p = 0.40); no-call rates were similar (3.78% vs. 3.76%).
Conclusions:
- NIPT is analytically feasible and performs reliably in early first-trimester pregnancies (<10 weeks).
- Gestational age is not an independent determinant of no-call results if adequate FF is achieved.
- Early NIPT supports timely prenatal screening under appropriate clinical conditions.
