Panorama Blood Test Wrong Gender – How Accurate Is NIPT?

The article has been reviewed by medical expert Margaret Dogwood, BSN, RN

Panorama Blood Test Wrong Gender can have a negative impact on the parents to-be. Finding out the gender is the second most exciting thing after the pregnancy test. Expectant parents always look forward to it as they want to plan ahead. Thus, a wrong gender prediction can spoil the excitement.

There are different ways to find out the baby’s gender. Your doctor might suggest an ultrasound to find out the gender. 

However, some parents want to find out the baby’s gender earlier during pregnancy. Plus, they want to be more confident and want a safer alternative to ultrasound. This is why many parents rely on NIPT. The test can help you find out the baby’s gender in as early as 9 weeks. Panorama blood test is a NIPT that can help find out the gender correctly. However, sometimes it can go wrong too.

So, are you interested to learn more about the Panorama blood test? Also, can a panorama test be wrong about gender? Let’s dig in to find all the answers to your queries.

What Is a Panorama Test?

Panorama is a NIPT (Non-invasive Prenatal Testing). It is a DNA screening test that determines important information about the fetus. With this test, you can find out the chromosomal conditions of your baby. For instance, if there are genetic abnormalities like down syndrome. Panorama test can be used to determine the following:

• Down syndrome, Edwards Syndrome, or Patau Syndrome
• Gender
• Twins (identical or fraternal)

This test also determines the gender of the baby. The test uses SNP-based technology that provides very accurate results. This test is also known as cell-free DNA screening. It determines gender by looking at the chromosome. If there is a Y chromosome, it means it’s a boy. If there is no Y chromosome picked by the test, it means it’s a girl. 

How Does NIPT Work?

To have a panorama test done, the pregnant woman has to provide a blood sample to the practitioner. Also, the pregnancy should be up to 9 or 10 weeks. There are different companies that provide these kits. Some of the NIPTs are more advanced than others. 

Panorama tests can detect different genetic conditions and gender with accuracy. A 2015 study indicates that around 90% of these tests were accurate for Down syndrome and Edward syndrome. So, the main purpose of these tests is to find the genetic conditions. However, most people use these tests to determine the gender. 

Once the mom-to-be provides a blood sample, the test analyzes it. The to-be-mom’s bloodstream contains particles of the fetal DNA present in the placenta. The test differentiates mom’s DNA from the baby’s DNA. It then produces a detailed report according to the condition of the fetal DNA. 

Can NIPT Test Be Wrong for Gender?

Panorama is a screening test. This means that it shouldn’t be used for final diagnosis of a condition. It provides 99% accurate results for gender determination. The test gives accurate results when the pregnancy is up to 9 or 10 weeks. Before this period, the mom’s blood doesn’t contain enough genetic material for accurate screening. 

NIPT tests may also vary from brand to brand. Panorama is one of the most accurate NIPTs available. These tests are one of the best ways to determine gender. The NIPT analyzes the cell-free fetal DNA from the mother’s blood. If there are Y chromosome DNA sequences in the mother’s blood, it is a boy. If there are no Y chromosome DNA sequences, it is assumed that it is a girl. 

If conducted at the right time, the NIPT test can’t be wrong for gender. A study was conducted in 2016 to determine the accuracy of NIPT for fetal sex determination. The test states that the diagnostic accuracy is very high for fetal sex determination. However, if someone gets a wrong gender result, there might be some factors that gave the false result. Let’s find out more in the next section. 

Reasons that Cause Wrong Gender Results

When it comes to pregnancy, there are many things that are uncertain. Panorama tests are highly accurate for determining gender and genetic conditions. However, there is still 1% chance of error. Plus, NIPT is a new testing technique so the rate of accuracy is still under study. The error in the result may be due to a few factors:

Screening Earlier than 9 Weeks

In most cases, inaccurate results from NIPT are because of earlier screening. The screening test gives accurate results only if the mom-to-be is 9 or 10 weeks pregnant. A few testing kits can determine accurate results for 9 weeks of gestational age, while most do it for 10 weeks. 

To get an accurate result, you must wait at least 10 weeks. Before that period, the mother’s blood doesn’t contain enough free-floating DNAs of the baby. These DNA comes from the fetus and are in fewer quantities during the initial weeks. So if a NIPT is performed before 9 or 10 weeks, the results might be inaccurate. 

Quality of the Blood Sample

If the quality of the blood sample is not accurate, you might get wrong gender results. This happens when the mother’s blood gets contaminated due to any reason. However, in such cases, mostly the result is inconclusive. So, the panorama gives ‘No result’. Thus, quality assurance plays an important role in the Panorama blood test. 

Unfortunately, there is a small risk of wrong results due to contamination. This contamination can occur during blood drawing or sampling. To avoid this, medical facilities are paying more attention to the ISO 1589 guidelines. 

Fetal Demise

A Panorama test can give wrong gender results in case of fetal demise. For instance, in case of fetal demise, the genetic material of the fetus can still remain in the blood. In this case, the NIPT can’t determine whether the DNA has come from an alive fetus or not. 

Sample Mix-Up

Though this is very rare, wrong gender results can arise because of sample mix up. For this reason, only trained personnel are allowed to carry out blood drawing and sampling. If the blood sample is mixed up with someone else’s, there’s a chance that you come across a wrong gender prediction. 

How Often is the Panorama Gender Test Wrong?

NIPT tests are mostly accurate for gender tests. The test evaluates the number and type of chromosomes to determine the genetic condition. A boy usually has one X and Y chromosome. On the other hand, a girl usually has two X chromosomes. 

In various validation studies, there are no incorrect gender gender predictions. However, a panorama blood test wrong gender can result due to the factors discussed above.  

Alternatives to Panorama Blood Test 

One of the main benefits of the Panorama gender test is that it is non-invasive. Also, it is 99% accurate and that’s the reason why parents go for it. On the other hand, CVS is an invasive procedure which is usually done to identify abnormalities. This is 99.9% accurate as it involves a study of tissue taken from the placenta. 

Amniocentesis is also an invasive procedure in which a sample of amniotic fluid is taken. This test is 100% accurate. The invasive procedures including CVS and amniocentesis are not done for the purpose of determining gender. These are rare tests and are normally performed to determine genetic conditions. 

The most common method to determine gender is ultrasound. This is a traditional method and is quite accurate too. However, this method requires a long wait. An ultrasound can predict gender for pregnancy above 18 weeks. Prolonged exposure to ultrasound is dangerous. 

Wrapping it Up!

The biggest benefit of NIPT tests is that they are non-invasive. This means that the fetus remains unharmed during the test. Panorama is one of the most accurate NIPT tests available for gender prediction. There are fewer false positives with the panorama tests. Besides gender prediction, NIPT is also highly accurate in determining down syndrome.