With advancing technology, pregnant women now have more choices in second trimester prenatal testing (16-20 weeks) to assess the health of their babies. In addition to the commonly known amniocentesis, the amniotic fluid chip has become a popular option. The chip manufactured by "Phalanx Biotech" can detect over 500 diseases, including alpha-thalassemia, a common genetic disorder in Asians, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy caused by microdeletions.

Earlier chips mainly focused on diseases common in Western populations. However, Phalanx Biotech’s third-generation amniotic fluid chip specifically includes "alpha-thalassemia," a common recessive disease among Asians, with a carrier rate of about 4% in Taiwan.

Many current amniotic fluid chips on the market were manufactured before 2013, which makes them less equipped to detect CNVs (copy number variations) or newly discovered small fragment CNVs. Phalanx Biotech's third-generation amniotic fluid chip, designed in 2020, incorporates the latest data and better caters to the needs of Taiwanese people!

Emily's Choice: Phalanx Biotech Amniotic Fluid Chip, Focusing on Common Genetic Diseases in Taiwan

Women over 34 are often advised to undergo amniocentesis. For Emily, who was 40 and pregnant with her third child, she wanted to ensure that her baby "Nuan Nuan" did not have any known or common genetic disorders. "After seeing many cases where children seemed fine at birth but later showed developmental delays or other genetic conditions, I decided to opt for the amniotic fluid chip and chose Phalanx Biotech’s chromosome chip for its high interpretability, making the results easy for everyone to understand!"

Phalanx Biotech's amniotic fluid chip, designed specifically for Asians, has a detection rate 4-5 times higher than traditional karyotyping. It was developed using Taiwanese genetic data. "For example, it can detect alpha-thalassemia and focuses on genetic diseases related to developmental delays and intellectual disabilities, which are key concerns for parents. The report is clear and easy to understand, helping parents quickly assess their baby's health."

Emily also shared that she felt more reassured knowing that Phalanx is one of the top four global chip developers, with chips developed and manufactured in Taiwan. Their service is also very comforting; before the amniocentesis, she contacted them, and a Phalanx Biotech consultant accompanied her on the day of the procedure. During the amniocentesis, they collected an extra 10 c.c. of amniotic fluid, which was sent directly to Phalanx's lab. The report was ready within two weeks, and they scheduled another session to explain the results. "Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, online consultations allowed me to receive real-time updates on the test results."

Leading 3 Advantages! Third-Generation Chip with Precision Placement Design Outperforms Market Competitors

Phalanx Biotech continues to innovate. Compared to the first and second-generation amniotic fluid chips, the third-generation chip offers three key advantages: "broader coverage, finer resolution, and higher accuracy." The number of detectable diseases has increased to over 500, with a detection rate for common CNVs as high as 97%. It also reveals microdeletions that other chips may miss. The precision placement design focuses probes in hotspot areas of disease, ensuring excellent detection for high-incidence conditions.

What is precision placement? This design places probes in the most useful locations based on the chromosomal abnormalities' incidence rates. Phalanx uses statistical data to place more probes in frequently deleted segments, resulting in superior accuracy in detecting high-incidence conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), with a detection rate of 92%. This gives parents peace of mind about their baby's health.

Amniotic fluid chip testing is no longer exclusive to older pregnant women. Research has shown that the incidence of diseases caused by fetal chromosomal microdeletions is unrelated to maternal age! The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women of all ages undergo amniotic fluid chip testing as part of prenatal screening. Amniocentesis alone is insufficient, and combining it with amniotic fluid chip testing provides a complete prenatal checkup. Prenatal genetic testing acts as insurance for your baby's future health, allowing parents to navigate pregnancy with confidence!

Source: Mom & Baby https://www.mombaby.com.tw/articles/9919789