OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficiency of cell-free fetal DNA detection as a non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) method for women of advanced maternal age.

METHODSA total of 10 584 women of advanced maternal age who received NIPS were recruited from the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Jiaxing Maternal and Child Health Hospital during February 2015 and September 2016. The pregnancy outcome was followed-up. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy detected in NIPS were analyzed. And the relationship between maternal age and fetal common chromosomal aneuploidy was analyzed.

RESULTSThe sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of NIPS were 100.00%, 99.96%, 91.67%, 100.00% for trisomy 21, 100.00%, 99.93%, 68.18%, 100.00% for trisomy 18, and 100.00%, 99.97%, 25.00%, 100.00% for trisomy 13. High-risk rate and true positive rate of trisomy 21 were positively correlated with the maternal age (all<0.01). There were significant differences in high-risk rate and true positive rate between 35-37 year old groups and 38-40 year old groups (all<0.05). Such difference was also found in high-risk rate between 38-40 year old group and ≥ 41 year old group (<0.05), but not in true positive rate between two groups (>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSNIPS is effective for fetal chromosomal aneuploidy screening in women of advanced maternal age. For women under 38 years of age, NIPS is preferred; for women of 41 and above, invasive diagnostic methods are suggested; and for women between 38-41 years old, the option can be determined by themselves after risks and advantages were fully informed.