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NIPS Explained: A Fireside Chat About Prenatal Genetic Screening
October 6, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm EDT
Noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) is a type of genetic screening that assesses if a pregnancy is at increased risk for certain chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome. Prenatal genetic screening is an innovative tool that can help women make informed decisions about their reproductive health and pregnancy management, and may improve maternal and fetal outcomes by allowing preparation to care for children who may have a genetic disorder.
NIPS (also referred to as cfDNA screening) can be performed as early as 10 weeks into a pregnancy and is considered noninvasive because the required blood draw poses minimal to no risk to mother or baby. Even though the process is simple, NIPS should only be done after a woman is provided education and information about the process, risks, and benefits of NIPS, and gives her informed consent to proceed.
The Society for Women’s Health Research has created a NIPS Resource Guide for Women and other educational materials to increase awareness about genetic screening and provide essential information for understanding NIPS so that women may have informed conversations with their providers before undergoing prenatal genetic screening.
SWHR hosted a fireside chat to share educational information about the impact of prenatal screening on maternal and infant health. The event discussed how to reduce barriers to care and improve health outcomes through patient education, patient provider communication, and informed consent.
Follow the conversation on Twitter at @SWHR and #SWHRtalksGeneticScreening.
This event is free and open to the public.
Goals
- Provide an overview of how genetic screening impacts maternal and infant health, with special emphasis on noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS)
- Increase visibility of the patient experience, emphasizing ways to empower others and improve quality of care and general wellbeing
- Highlight information and communication strategies from SWHR’s NIPS Resource Guide for Women
Panelist
Marianna Raia, MS, CGC
Marianna Raia, MS, CGC
Marianna Raia, MS, CGC, is the Associate Director of Programs at Expecting Health. Raia brings over 15 years of experience in clinical genetics, healthcare, laboratory and biotechnology industries. As a genetic counselor, she has dedicated her career to bringing forth awareness of genetic knowledge, family advocacy, and community education. Driven by the mission to increase access to genetic services, she has helped innovate and deliver new models of patient care through patient-centered education and telehealth services. Raia is committed to helping patients, providers, and the public understand how genetic information can empower you to make decisions about your health and the health of your family. Raia earned her Master of Genetic Counseling from the University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center.
Download the NIPS Resource Guide
Sponsor
SWHR’s Noninvasive Prenatal Screening Program is supported by an educational sponsorship from Illumina, Inc. SWHR maintains editorial control and independence over educational content.
