The Natera Horizon test is a genetic screening tool that helps prospective parents understand their risk of passing on inherited conditions to their children. This article clarifies the test’s purpose and capabilities, addressing whether it determines a future child’s gender and how it differs from other genetic screening options.
Understanding the Natera Horizon Test
The Natera Horizon test functions as a carrier screening test. It analyzes DNA from prospective parents to identify if they carry gene variants for certain inherited conditions. This screening is typically performed before or during pregnancy to assess the risk to a future child. The test examines the parents’ genetic makeup, not the fetus directly.
Gender Determination and Horizon
The Natera Horizon test does not determine gender. Its focus is on identifying specific gene variants associated with inherited genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and fragile X syndrome. It does not analyze the sex chromosomes (X and Y). Gender determination requires analysis of fetal chromosomal material, which is not the function of a carrier screen like Horizon.
The Purpose of Horizon Screening
The Natera Horizon test provides insights into an individual’s carrier status for various genetic conditions. This allows prospective parents to understand their risk of having a child with a specific genetic disorder. Many carriers are healthy and unaware of their status until screening.
When both parents are carriers for the same recessive genetic condition, there is a 25% chance with each pregnancy that their child could be affected. For X-linked conditions, if the mother is a carrier, there is a 50% chance of having an affected male child or a carrier female child. This information allows for informed family planning decisions and enables medical professionals to prepare appropriate care plans.
Comparing Horizon to Other Genetic Tests
The Natera Horizon carrier screening test differs from other genetic tests, especially those that can provide gender information. Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), such as Natera’s Panorama test, analyzes cell-free fetal DNA in the mother’s bloodstream. NIPT can determine fetal gender and screen for chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome, trisomy 13, and trisomy 18.
Unlike Horizon, which focuses on inherited gene variants from the parents, NIPT screens for genetic changes that often occur by chance in the fetus. Both Horizon and Panorama serve different purposes and utilize distinct methodologies. Many couples choose to undergo both carrier screening and NIPT for a comprehensive understanding of their genetic risks and fetal health.