Panorama screens for the most common genetic conditions and the baby’s gender (optional). Some conditions, such as Down syndrome, are caused by extra copies of a specific chromosome. Others, such as microdeletions, occur when a chromosome is missing a small piece of genetic information. Microdeletions affect women equally, regardless of age.

Panorama screens for the most common genetic conditions and the baby’s gender (optional). Some conditions, such as Down syndrome, are caused by extra copies of a specific chromosome. Others, such as microdeletions, occur when a chromosome is missing a small piece of genetic information. Microdeletions affect women equally, regardless of age.

In ancient times, the use of “blood drop method” to prove the blood relationship, but this method has no scientific support, and it’s very inaccurate. Until the early 20th century, ABO blood type system was discovered. Scientists turned to this method as a paternity test. However, there were a lot of limitations for this blood grouping system; such as, it cannot be used on special blood types (such as: Yamamoto blood type), ethnicity. etc. It can only be used for exclusion purposes. By the mid-1980’s, the British Geneticist Sir Jeffreys invented the technique of using DNA genetic material for authentication. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has adopted this technology for forensic use. With forensic DNA technology advances, not only postnatal paternity tests, but even prenatal paternity can be done. The accuracy for both postnatal and prenatal paternity tests can reach 99.99%.

How does paternity testing work?

DNA is a unique set of genetic information in human cells. Half of the DNA is inherited from mother, and half from father. By comparing the DNA patterns of the parent and child, the test is able to determine the biological father of a child.

Among commercially available NIPTs, Panorama has the highest published accuracy in determining the baby’s gender. Panorama’s ability to analyze SNPs unique to the Y chromosome and to detect the presence of vanishing twin pregnancies helps to overcome causes of inaccurate gender reporting common with other technologies. If the mother is a known carrier, or if there is a known family history for an X-linked condition, (example Duchenne muscular dystrophy) fetal sex determination by NIPT can help determine the need for further diagnostic testing in the pregnancy.

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that involves birth defects, intellectual disabilities, characteristic facial features. Additionally, it often involves heart defects, visual and hearing impairments, and other health problems. The severity of all of these problems varies greatly among affected individuals. Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic birth defects, affecting approximately one in about 800 babies. In this country, around 250,000 individuals have Down syndrome. Life expectancy among adults with Down syndrome is about 60 years, though average lifespan varies.

The term Down syndrome comes from Dr. Langdon Down, the doctor who first described the collection of physical symptoms in 1866. It was not until 1959 that the cause of Down syndrome (the presence of an extra #21 chromosome) was identified.



A child with Down syndrome may have eyes that slant upward and small ears that may fold over slightly at the top. The child’s mouth may be small, making the tongue appear large. The child’s nose also may be small, with a flattened nasal bridge. Some babies with Down syndrome have a short neck and small hands with short fingers. Rather than having three “creases” in the palm of the hand, a child with Down syndrome usually has one single crease that goes straight across the palm, and a second crease that curves down by the thumb. The child or adult with Down syndrome is often short and has unusual looseness of the joints. Most children with Down syndrome will have some, but not all, of these features.

What is fragile X syndrome and its related conditions?

Fragile X syndrome is one of the main causes of autism, a common genetic disease. Fragile X syndrome or its related diseases occurs due to lack of FMR1 genome expression. FMR1 absence, affects mental development, and causes other problems, including autism, etc.

1:151 women are fragile X carriers

A male person with fragile X syndrome will show symptoms, but a female person with only be a carrier, with no obvious symptoms. Chances of women to carry the fragile X syndrome is as high as 1:1511, that is, 1 in every 151 will be a carrier.

* Reference from the National Fragile X Foundation.

I have no obvious symptoms, why do I need to be tested?

1. Even if women show no symptoms, they may still be carriers, and there’s a 50% chance that the mutated gene will be passed to the next generation, causing problems to the child.

​2. If you give birth to a girl, she has 50% chance to become a fragile X syndrome carrier. If you give birth to a boy, he has 50% chance of being a fragile X syndrome patient.

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