NIPT vs. amniocentesis - Nishmat Yoatzot Halacha

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NIPT vs. amniocentesis

February 12, 2018

Question

Thanks for a great site.
My question is more of a theoretical nature. Given that all other factors are equal, would it be halachically preferred to do NIPT and not amniocentesis?

Answer

As a screening test, NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) is preferable to amniocentesis since there is no risk to the fetus. If the NIPT results indicate further testing is needed, then amniocentesis might be recommended for diagnostic purposes. At that point, a halachic question about amniocentesis should be asked.

See our article on Prenatal Testing for more details about the issues involved in amniocentesis.

Please feel free to get back to us with any further questions.