Book your Harmony test at The Women’s Wellness Centre, London
Choose day and time that best suits you and complete your booking directly using the form below.
You’ll receive an email to confirm your appointment and we look forward to seeing you at the Centre.
If you have any questions or if you need a same-day appointment please do not hesitate to call us on 020 7751 4488.
What is the Harmony prenatal test?
The Harmony test is a blood test that analyses DNA from the baby, which circulates in the mother’s blood. This non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) is carried out to detect genetic abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome, Edward’s and Patau and can assess the baby’s gender if requested
An ultrasound scan is also performed in combination to assess the baby’s wellbeing at the time of the test and give a more accurate assessment.
Who can have the Harmony Test?
This test is suitable for most pregnancies from 10 weeks, whether you naturally conceived or had IVF treatments. It is also suitable for both singleton and twin pregnancies.Â
It is strongly suggested when an expectant mother has increased risk factors for genetic disorders eg due to advanced maternal age or if there has been a positive Nuchal translucency scan result.
You cannot have the Harmony test:
- if you have cancer or yourself have chromosomal abnormalities including Trisomy 13, 18 and 21
- in multiple pregnancies greater than twins
- if you have had an organ transplant or received stem cell therapy or immunotherapy within the last 12 months
- if you have had a blood transfusion in the last 3 months
Why you should have a Harmony test
NIPT (such as Harmony) are the most accurate screening tests for chromosomal abnormality and are the gold standard screening tests. Test results in addition to providing detailed information on the gender and health of your baby can empower you with the knowledge required to make decisions about carrying a healthy pregnancy.
The popularity of the Harmony test is is also because of its non-invasive nature. Unlike invasive testing procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), Harmony Test is safe with no risk for your pregnancy with high accuracy. The number of invasive tests now being undertaken have significantly decreased with the increased use of NIPT like Harmony..
The Harmony blood test can assess the genetic risk of a fetal chromosomal abnormality such as:
Down Syndrome (trisomy 21)
This is the most common trisomy at the time of birth. It is associated with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Down Syndrome may also lead to digestive and congenital heart disease and other malformations.
Edwards Syndrome (trisomy 18) and Patau Syndrome (trisomy 13)
These are associated with a high rate of miscarriage. Trisomy 18 and 13 can cause severe brain abnormalities and often have congenital heart defects as well as other defects. Most affected individuals die before or soon after birth and very few survive beyond the first year of life.
Fetal Sex Chromosome Abnormalities ( for singleton pregnancies only)
This test can evaluate X and Y sex chromosomes as early as 10 weeks. You have the additional option to test for conditions caused by having an extra or missing copy of the X or Y chromosomes, including Turner and Kleinfelter Syndromes.
The Harmony test does not provide information on other rare chromosomal abnormalities or information on physical defects, such as heart or brain abnormalities and spina bifida, or fetal growth. To help you gain a better understanding of some of these other conditions you should attend for other scans such as nuchal scan (heart defects ) or anomaly scans or in some cases invasive testing such as amniocentesis.
How accurate is the Harmony Test?
Clinical studies have shown that the Harmony test offers an exceptional level of accuracy for detecting fetal trisomies.
The test has:
- 99% accuracy for gender.
- more than 99% of fetuses with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) – conventional screening will only detect approximately 70-80% of fetuses with Down syndrome
- 97% of fetuses with Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18)
- 80% of fetuses with Patau syndrome (trisomy 13)
Understanding results
When you receive your test results you should consult your Obstetric, Midwife or GP if these are not normal. Avoid jumping to conclusions and speak with an experienced Consultant who can help you understand your results and advice on the following steps.
You may also want to know:
- If the Harmony test shows that there is a high chance that the baby has trisomy 21 or 18 or 13 it does not mean that the baby definitely has one of these conditions. If you want to be absolutely certain if the baby has one of these conditions you should have one of the invasive tests such as Chorionic villous sampling ( CVS ) or amniocentisis.
- If the Harmony test shows that there is a low chance (less than 1 in 10,000) that the baby has trisomy 21 or 18 or 13 it is unlikely that the baby has one of these conditions.
In twin pregnancies, it is detected only the prevailing chromosome. If the gender result from the test is male, it means one or both of the twins  are certainly male.
Harmony test vs nuchal translucency
The Harmony test does not provide information on other rare chromosomal abnormalities. To detect those you need to attend a nuchal translucency scan after 12 weeks.
If this scan shows a high nuchal translucency (more than 3.5 mm) or major defects, such as exomphalos, holoprosencephaly, heart abnormalities or megacysis, the chance for some rare chromosomal conditions may be high. In this case, you may be advised to have a to have CVS or amniocentesis.
Your Harmony prenatal screening at the Women’s Wellness Centre, London
You can attend your Harmony prenatal screening at our clinic in London where our experienced Sonographer and HCA will guide you through every step.
You can have your pre-harmony ultrasound scans and harmony blood test at the same appointment and results will be delivered to you in 7-10 days. You can also count on our expert Consultants if you need any medical advice pre or post your Harmony screening.
If you have any enquires or questions and you want more information about Harmony Test or Ultrasound scanning during pregnancy  please do not hesitate to call us on 020 7751 4488 or contact us.
