Background of couples undergoing non-invasive prenatal testing in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to assess the background of couples who were undergoing non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in Japan.


METHODS
The characteristics of 2486 women who had visited Nagoya City University Hospital for NIPT were compared with Japanese Demographic Trends as controls. The questionnaire included items regarding the maternal and paternal age, maternal age at marriage, age at first live birth, and conception mode.


RESULTS
Compared with the controls, the percentage of women who were 4 or more years older than their partners was larger in the NIPT group (11.8% vs 6.5%). The maternal age at marriage, age at first live birth, and the duration between marriage and first birth tended to be greater in the NIPT group (32.6 years vs 29.3 years, 36.9 years vs 30.4 years, and 3.6 years vs 2.4 years, respectively), and the percentage of women who underwent assisted reproductive technology tended to be higher in the NIPT group (35-39 years: 21.2% vs 7.5%, 40-45 years: 36.2% vs 12.6%), compared with the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowing the specific backgrounds of couples who have undergone NIPT may be important for improving the quality of genetic counseling for NIPT.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Genetic Counseling, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Eri
E
Takeda
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Tokyo, Japan. og.n.suz@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp.
Nobuhiro
N
Suzumori
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Tokyo, Japan.
Kyoko
K
Kumagai
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Tokyo, Japan.
Kumiko
K
Oseto
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Takeshi
T
Ebara
Department of Genetic Counseling, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Junko
J
Yotsumoto
Department of Genetic Counseling, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Hironao
H
Numabe
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Tokyo, Japan.
Mayumi
M
Sugiura-Ogasawara
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D010331:Paternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
advanced maternal age; assisted reproductive technology; genetic counseling; maternal age at marriage; non-invasive prenatal testing