HTA Details
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing for Trisomies 21, 18, and 13, Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies, and Microdeletions
- Publication date
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2019-February-19
- Status
- Final
- Topic Area
- Genetics
- Recommendation
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Final Recommendation
- Ontario Health, under the guidance of the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee, recommends that Ontario continue publicly funding noninvasive prenatal testing for pregnancies at high risk for trisomies 21, 18, and 13, and sex chromosome aneuploidies
- Ontario Health, under the guidance of the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee, recommends against publicly funding noninvasive prenatal testing for pregnancies at average risk for trisomies 21, 18, and 13, sex chromosome aneuploidies, and microdeletions
- Ministry Response
-
The Ministry of Health has accepted this recommendation.
-
To read the full OHTAC Recommendation Report for this topic, contact our Health Innovation team using the contact form to request a digital copy.
Any pregnant person has a small chance of having a baby with a chromosomal anomaly (a change in the usual structure or number of chromosomes that carry genetic information). Prenatal screening tests check whether a fetus (an unborn baby) may have a chromosomal anomaly. Positive results from prenatal screening should be confirmed by diagnostic testing.
A new screening method called noninvasive prenatal testing is a maternal blood test that helps to screen for specific genetic conditions. Currently, noninvasive prenatal testing is publicly funded only for people whose pregnancy is at higher risk for a chromosomal anomaly, including pregnant people aged 40 years or over and those who have had a previous pregnancy with a chromosomal anomaly.
This health technology assessment evaluates how accurate and useful noninvasive prenatal testing is for detecting several chromosomal anomalies in pregnant people whose pregnancy is at average risk of a chromosomal anomaly, and whether the test provides good value for money. It also explores the preferences and values of pregnant people, their families, and the parents of children affected by the conditions for which noninvasive prenatal testing screens.
Last Updated: February 24, 2026
