What is the NIPT test used to diagnose?

Question
Hello doctor,
Can you tell me what the NIPT test is to diagnose? Can the 23-pair NIPT test identify autistic children? Can folic acid excess be determined? I ate crabs in the first 3 months, now in week 10. I heard that crabs contain a lot of mercury. So can this test also eliminate my anxiety? I hope you can advise me, thank you doctor.
Le Ngoc Tran (1988)
Answer
Answered by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Kim Dung - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Obstetrics Department, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
Hello,
With the question “What disease is NIPT test to diagnose? , the doctor would like to answer as follows:
The NIPT test is a non-invasive prenatal screening test that analyzes small fragments of DNA circulating in the blood of pregnant women. NIPT is used to look for chromosomal disorders caused by an extra or missing copy of a chromosome. NIPT mainly looks for trisomy 13, 18, 21.
NIPT is a screening test, which means it won't give a definite answer as to whether the fetus has a genetic disease? The NIPT test does not identify children with autism. Autism is an extremely complex disorder caused by a complex of genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, testing methods to help identify children with autism: Go to a specialist, test methods to help determine folic acid excess: Mother's blood test.
Crab is a food rich in protein, calcium, omega 3 and B vitamins, there are no contraindications for pregnant women if not allergic. However, due to the high nutritional content, you should not eat too much, too full. You can use no more than 200g of crab meat per week. You should eat fresh crabs and cook them thoroughly.
If you still have questions about what the NIPT test is to diagnose, you can go to a hospital of Vinmec Health System for further examination and advice. Thank you for trusting and sending questions to Vinmec. Wishing you lots of health.
Best regards!