Chromosomal conditions such as Down syndrome can happen in any pregnancy - even when there is no family history - because they typically are not inherited. They happen by "chance," and although the chance increases with mother's age, most babies with chromosomal conditions are born to women under 35 years of age.1
That's why the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that prenatal genetic screening (serum screening with or without nuchal translucency [NT] ultrasound or cell-free DNA screening) and diagnostic testing (chorionic villus sampling [CVS] or amniocentesis) options should be discussed and offered to all pregnant women regardless of maternal age or risk of chromosomal abnormality.2 And since NIPT is the most sensitive screening option for trisomies 21, 18, and 13, the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD) also supports offering NIPT to all pregnant women.3
Your prenatal screening results can provide you and your doctor with information specific to your pregnancy so you can have more informed conversations about your prenatal care.