Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (CAPART / NIPT)

CAPART (Czech Accurate Prenatal Aneuploidy Rapid Test) is a non-invasive prenatal test that analyses fetal DNA circulating in a maternal blood sample to screen for the most common chromosomal trisomies, including trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), 18 and 13. Introduced by the laboratory in 2026, it requires only a routine blood draw from the mother and carries none of the miscarriage risk associated with invasive sampling. Expanded variants add sex chromosome assessment and broader aneuploidy panels. The test is suitable from early in the second trimester and is offered to self-paying patients who want reassurance beyond standard ultrasound screening.

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) works by analysing cell-free fetal DNA fragments that pass into the mother's bloodstream from the placenta. A standard venous blood sample is taken from the mother and the fetal DNA fraction is sequenced and analysed to assess the likelihood of common chromosomal aneuploidies. Because no needle enters the uterus, the test avoids the small miscarriage risk associated with amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, making it a popular first-line screening choice. The laboratory's CAPART platform screens for the principal autosomal trisomies — trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Several panel levels are available: the base CAPART test, CAPART including fetal sex determination, and broader Trisomy panels (Trisomy test, Trisomy XY, Trisomy+, and Trisomy test complete) that extend the analysis to sex chromosome aneuploidies and additional findings. Patients choose the panel level with the laboratory based on their clinical history and the information they wish to receive. NIPT is a screening rather than a diagnostic test: a high-risk result is normally confirmed by an invasive diagnostic procedure such as amniocentesis with karyotyping. The laboratory, which sits directly above a centre for prenatal diagnosis, can arrange this confirmatory pathway. The test is best suited to expectant parents who want a low-risk, early, and sensitive screen for chromosomal conditions.