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  • What is Prenatal Screening?
    • What Do We Screen For?
    • Multiple Marker Screening (MMS)
    • Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
    • Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound
    • Options by Pregnancy Stage
    • For Twins or More Than Two Babies
    • Nominate a Condition
  • Results and Next Steps
    • Multiple Marker Screening (MMS) Results
    • Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Results
    • Diagnostic Testing
  • Requisitions and Provider Tools
    • Multiple Marker Screening (MMS) Requisitions
    • Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Requisitions
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HomeWhat is Prenatal Screening?Options by Pregnancy StageGreater than 21 Weeks' Pregnant
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Greater Than 21 Weeks' Pregnant

Your options at this stage will depend on whether or not you have already had prenatal genetic screening in this pregnancy.  

I Have NOT Had Prenatal Genetic Screening in this Pregnancy

  • If you have not yet had a prenatal genetic screen in your pregnancy and you wish to have one, Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is the only option for screening at this stage.
  • NIPT involves a blood test, and is OHIP-funded in certain situations (e.g. when there is a higher chance for the baby to have trisomy 21 or trisomy 18). You can choose to pay for NIPT if the test is not OHIP-funded in your situation.

I Have Had a Prenatal Genetic Screening Test  (eFTS or MSS)

  • If you had another screening test (usually enhanced First Trimester Screening or Maternal Serum Screening), you either got a screen positive or a screen negative result.

  • Some individuals will not follow up with another prenatal genetic screening test in their pregnancy. However, others will consider having Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). NIPT is the most accurate prenatal screen, and it involves a blood test. NIPT is OHIP-funded in certain situations. For example, a "screen positive" result from another screening test, or concerns on the detailed anatomy ultrasound may prompt the offer of OHIP-funded NIPT, in addition to other options.

Regardless of your prenatal genetic screening decisions, you would be offered a detailed anatomy ultrasound. The ultrasound is ideally done between 18 and  22 weeks' gestation and will look at the growth and structural development of the baby (e.g. checking the structure of the baby's heart). The ultrasound can be done past this time window. However, all of the different parts of the baby may become more difficult to examine as the baby grows.

  • What is Prenatal Screening?
    • What Do We Screen For?
      Toggle Section What Do We Screen For? Menu
      • Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
      • Trisomy 18
      • Trisomy 13
      • Sex chromosome differences
    • Multiple Marker Screening (MMS)
      Toggle Section Multiple Marker Screening (MMS) Menu
      • Enhanced First Trimester Screening (eFTS)
      • Maternal Serum Screen (MSS)
    • Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
      Toggle Section Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Menu
      • NIPT Funding Criteria
    • Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound
      Toggle Section Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound Menu
      • Increased Nuchal Translucency
    • Options by Pregnancy Stage
      Toggle Section Options by Pregnancy Stage Menu
      • Less than 14 Weeks' Pregnant
      • 14-21 Weeks' Pregnant
      • Greater than 21 Weeks' Pregnant
    • For Twins or More Than Two Babies
    • Nominate a Condition

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Prenatal Screening Ontario 
CHEO Research Institute 
Centre for Practice-Changing Research Building 
401 Smyth Road 
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1

Phone: 613-737-2281

Toll-Free: 1-833-351-6490

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

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