Book your test
Book online or call 020 3687 2939 as soon as you can after the miscarriage is diagnosed. Let us know if treatment has been planned, and tell the team treating you that you are having the test.
CLARITY Miscarriage Blood Test (niPOC)
When a miscarriage has been diagnosed but the pregnancy is still in the womb, CLARITY can check the pregnancy's chromosomes from a single blood sample taken from you. It reads DNA from the placenta that circulates in your blood, so no pregnancy tissue is needed.
CLARITY costs £530, covering the blood test at our City clinic, analysis by the Igenomix genetics laboratory and an explanation of your result by our clinician. If you are considering it, have the blood test before treatment, ideally as soon as you can after diagnosis, and tell the team treating you.
Available atLPC City (E1)
Timing matters: the test must be done before the pregnancy leaves the womb
CLARITY works only while the pregnancy is still in the womb, so the blood sample must be taken before miscarriage tablets, before surgery and before the miscarriage passes naturally. If you are considering it, have the blood test before treatment, ideally as soon as you can after diagnosis, and tell the team treating you. To arrange it, book online or call 020 3687 2939. Your medical care always comes first: if you are bleeding heavily, in severe pain, have a fever or feel faint, contact your early pregnancy unit or NHS 111 straight away, or call 999 in an emergency.
About the test
What is CLARITY?
CLARITY is our name for the niPOC test from Igenomix, a specialist genetics laboratory. niPOC stands for non-invasive products of conception: it checks the chromosomes of a pregnancy that has stopped developing from a standard blood sample taken from you, rather than from tissue of the pregnancy itself.
During pregnancy the placenta releases tiny fragments of its DNA into your bloodstream, known as cell-free DNA. The laboratory reads these fragments to look for extra or missing chromosomes and for large missing or extra pieces of chromosome. The placenta and the pregnancy grow from the same fertilised egg, so their chromosomes are usually, though not always, the same.
Once the pregnancy has passed or been removed, the placental DNA in your blood falls, which is why the sample has to be taken first. A chromosome change found by CLARITY can sometimes help explain why a pregnancy stopped developing, although no test can always find a cause. Our guide to chromosomal causes of miscarriage explains the main types of change, and the published research on blood-based testing after miscarriage is summarised in our genetic blood test guide.
Eligibility
Who can have CLARITY, and when
CLARITY is for a miscarriage that has been confirmed on an ultrasound scan while the pregnancy is still in the womb, such as a missed miscarriage or a pregnancy that has stopped growing. It is suitable when all of the following apply:
- The miscarriage has been diagnosed on a scan and the pregnancy has not yet passed.
- You have not yet taken miscarriage medication (tablets) or had surgery to remove the pregnancy.
- It is a singleton pregnancy. CLARITY is not suitable for twins or other multiple pregnancies, and if a second sac was seen at any stage, please tell us before the test.
Please also tell us before the test if you have had a recent blood transfusion, an organ transplant or stem cell therapy, or if you take low-molecular-weight heparin (a blood-thinning injection) long term. After these treatments a result can occasionally reflect your own chromosomes rather than the pregnancy's, and heparin may interfere with the analysis.
If the miscarriage has already passed, or you have already had tablets or surgery, CLARITY is not appropriate, because the result may no longer reflect the pregnancy. Testing the pregnancy tissue may still be possible if it was kept: a genetic counselling appointment (£80) is the place to start, and our guide to pregnancy tissue testing explains how it works.
If there is any doubt that the pregnancy has stopped developing, the right next step is another scan, not a genetic test. NICE describes when a repeat scan is needed before a miscarriage is confirmed, and you can book a second-opinion scan for an independent look.
Price
What the £530 CLARITY price includes
One price covers the test from the blood sample to the explanation of your result.
- A blood test at our City clinic, 36 Spital Square, London E1: a standard sample taken from your arm.
- Analysis of your sample by the Igenomix genetics laboratory, checking all 24 chromosomes for extra or missing copies and for missing or extra pieces larger than 7 Mb.
- Your result, usually within 7 working days of the laboratory receiving your sample.
- An explanation of your result by our clinician, including what it may mean and the next steps.
- Not included: a formal genetic counselling session. If you would like one, before or after the test, a 30-minute video appointment with a registered genetic counsellor is available separately for £80.
Step by step
How CLARITY works, from booking to result
Blood test at our City clinic
A routine blood sample is taken from your arm at our clinic in Spital Square, E1, before any miscarriage tablets or surgery and before the miscarriage passes.
Sent to the laboratory
Your sample is sent to the Igenomix genetics laboratory, which reads the pregnancy's DNA fragments in your blood and checks every chromosome.
Your result
Results are usually ready within 7 working days of the laboratory receiving your sample, although a small number are delayed.
Explained by our clinician
Our clinician explains what the result means and the next steps. If it is complex or unexpected, we can arrange genetic counselling or a clinical genetics consultation.
Scope
What CLARITY looks for, and what it cannot detect
CLARITY looks for the kinds of chromosome change most often found after a miscarriage, but no test detects every genetic cause. Our guide to chromosomal causes of miscarriage explains each type of change.
| Type of chromosome change | Looked for by CLARITY | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| An extra or missing whole chromosome (trisomy, monosomy) | Yes | All 24 chromosomes are checked: the 22 numbered chromosomes and the X and Y chromosomes. |
| Missing or extra pieces of chromosome larger than 7 Mb (deletions, duplications) | Yes | A megabase (Mb) is a million DNA letters. Pieces smaller than 7 Mb are below what the test can see. |
| A trisomy of chromosome 13, 14, 15, 21 or 22 | Yes, with a limit | A full trisomy of these chromosomes cannot be told apart from one caused by a Robertsonian translocation or an isochromosome in a parent. Our clinician can explain whether tests for parents are worth discussing. |
| Triploidy and other polyploidy (a whole extra set of chromosomes) | No | Not detected by CLARITY. The laboratory's test on pregnancy tissue can detect most triploidies. |
| Balanced rearrangements | No | Nothing is missing or extra, so there is nothing for the test to count. |
| Mosaicism (a mix of cells with and without a change) | No | Low levels, below about 30% of cells, are not detected, and CLARITY does not report mosaicism. |
| Uniparental disomy and single-gene conditions | No | These need different kinds of genetic test. |
Your result
The four possible results
Every CLARITY result is explained by our clinician. If a result is complex or unexpected, we can arrange genetic counselling or a clinical genetics consultation. Our guide to understanding miscarriage genetic test results explains the terms you may see on a report.
Result 1
A chromosome change is found
The test found an extra or missing chromosome, or a large missing or extra piece, that could explain the loss. Our clinician explains what it means for you, including whether any further tests are worth considering.
Result 2
No chromosome change is found
No change was found within what the test can detect. This does not rule out a genetic cause, because some changes, such as triploidy or very small missing pieces, are outside what CLARITY can see.
Result 3
No result
Occasionally the test cannot give an answer, for example when there is too little pregnancy DNA in your blood (a fetal fraction below 2%) or the sample cannot be analysed. Our clinician talks you through what is still possible.
Result 4, rare
An incidental finding
Very rarely the test reveals an important genetic finding that is not related to the miscarriage, such as information about a health risk. It is reported only if you have consented to receive it, and we can arrange specialist genetics support to explain it.
Choosing a test
CLARITY or pregnancy tissue testing?
Igenomix also tests pregnancy tissue directly, with a test called POC by NGS. The two answer the same question in different ways. Our guide to choosing between a blood test and a tissue test goes into more detail.
CLARITY blood test (niPOC)
Needs only a blood sample from you, taken before the pregnancy leaves the womb, so it does not depend on collecting tissue. Checks all 24 chromosomes and missing or extra pieces larger than 7 Mb, but cannot detect triploidy. Singleton pregnancies only. Results within 7 working days of the laboratory receiving the sample. £530, and you can book it directly.
Pregnancy tissue test (POC by NGS)
Needs pregnancy tissue, collected when the miscarriage passes or during surgery, plus a blood sample from you so the laboratory can check the result comes from the pregnancy rather than your own cells. Checks all 24 chromosomes and missing or extra pieces larger than 10 Mb, and detects most triploidies. Also possible for twins. Results within 12 working days of the laboratory receiving the samples. Arranged after a genetic counselling appointment; see our guide to pregnancy tissue testing.
Which may suit you
If the pregnancy is still in the womb, CLARITY can be done before treatment, however you choose to manage the miscarriage, and does not depend on tissue being collected. If the miscarriage has already passed or been treated, tissue testing is the route, provided tissue was kept. If a molar pregnancy is suspected, the tissue itself needs examining. Our guide to what you can test now matches each situation to the options.
Before you decide
Limitations of CLARITY
No test can find every cause of miscarriage. It helps to know what CLARITY cannot do before you decide.
- It can only be done while the pregnancy is still in the womb. Once the pregnancy has passed or been treated, a result may not reflect the pregnancy.
- It is for singleton pregnancies only.
- It does not detect triploidy or other polyploidy, balanced rearrangements, uniparental disomy, single-gene conditions, or missing or extra pieces smaller than 7 Mb.
- It does not detect mosaicism below about 30%, and mosaicism is not reported.
- A full trisomy of chromosome 13, 14, 15, 21 or 22 cannot be told apart from one caused by a Robertsonian translocation or isochromosome in a parent.
- Occasionally a result reflects your own chromosomes rather than the pregnancy's, for example after a recent blood transfusion, an organ transplant or stem cell therapy. Long-term low-molecular-weight heparin may interfere with the analysis.
- Some samples give no result, for example when there is too little pregnancy DNA in the blood.
- A result where no change is found does not rule out a genetic cause, and no test can prevent a future miscarriage.
- Results can occasionally be delayed, for example by problems with transporting the sample.
How we can help
Other help after a miscarriage
Genetic counselling takes place online by video; our scanning clinics are in the City and West London. NHS care remains available alongside any of these.
Online, by video
Genetic counselling
A 30-minute appointment with a registered genetic counsellor, through our partner Jeen Health, to weigh up CLARITY and tissue testing or to go through a result in more depth. It is separate from the CLARITY price.
If the diagnosis is uncertain
Second-opinion scan
From around 10 weeks, Dr Fred Ushakov re-examines the pregnancy independently if you are unsure the diagnosis is right. If there is any doubt, a scan comes before a genetic test.
After your first period
Post-miscarriage scan
A recovery scan and review, usually after your first period, to check the womb has returned to normal and look for any remaining pregnancy tissue. It is not a scan for diagnosing a miscarriage.
CLARITY blood test: your questions
How much does CLARITY cost, and what is included?
CLARITY costs £530. That covers the blood test at our City clinic, the analysis by the Igenomix laboratory and an explanation of your result by our clinician. A formal genetic counselling session is not included; if you would like one, a 30-minute video appointment with a registered genetic counsellor costs £80.
When should I have the CLARITY blood test?
As soon as you can after the miscarriage has been diagnosed, while the pregnancy is still in the womb. The sample must be taken before miscarriage tablets, before surgery and before the miscarriage passes naturally. If you are considering CLARITY, have the blood test before treatment and tell the team treating you.
Your medical care comes first. If you are bleeding heavily, in severe pain, have a fever or feel faint, contact your early pregnancy unit or NHS 111 straight away, or call 999 in an emergency.
How soon will I get my result?
Usually within 7 working days of the laboratory receiving your sample. A small number of results are delayed, for example by problems with transporting the sample. Our clinician then explains your result and any next steps.
What happens if the test gives no result?
Sometimes there is too little pregnancy DNA in the blood sample, or the sample cannot be analysed. If that happens, our clinician talks you through what is still possible. If pregnancy tissue was kept, testing it may still be an option, and a genetic counselling appointment is the place to start.
Can I have CLARITY if I was expecting twins?
No. CLARITY is for singleton pregnancies only. If a second sac was seen at any stage, please tell us before booking. Testing the pregnancy tissue is possible for twins, and our genetic counsellors can explain how it is arranged.
I have already taken tablets or had surgery. Can I still have CLARITY?
No. CLARITY is not appropriate once the pregnancy has left the womb, whether it passed naturally or after tablets or surgery, because the result may no longer reflect the pregnancy. If tissue was kept, pregnancy tissue testing may still be possible.
If a future pregnancy ends in miscarriage, CLARITY can be done before treatment, as soon as possible after the diagnosis.
Will CLARITY tell me why I miscarried, or what will happen next time?
It may help explain a loss. When CLARITY finds a chromosome change, this can sometimes show why the pregnancy stopped developing, and our clinician explains what it may mean for a future pregnancy. A result where no change is found does not rule out a genetic cause, and no test can prevent a future miscarriage.
Most trisomies arise by chance as an egg or sperm forms, and the parents' chromosomes are usually normal. For some results, chromosome tests for both parents may be worth discussing; our guide to parental karyotype testing explains when.
Is CLARITY available on the NHS?
No. The NHS does not routinely offer genetic testing after a first or second miscarriage. NHS genetic testing after miscarriage uses pregnancy tissue, usually from the third miscarriage, after a loss from 14 weeks, or sooner if there are features suggesting a chromosome condition. Blood-based testing after miscarriage is not yet part of standard NHS care, and UK researchers are still assessing how it should be used.
Your NHS early pregnancy unit confirms and manages miscarriage free of charge, and that care comes first. Choosing CLARITY privately does not change it, and you can share your result with your NHS team or GP.
About this information
This page describes the CLARITY test in general terms. It is not personal medical advice and cannot replace the clinicians who know your scans and history. If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, a fever or feel faint, contact your early pregnancy unit or call NHS 111 straight away, or 999 in an emergency.
Contact
Questions about the CLARITY blood test?
Sources & clinical references
The figures and clinical statements on this page are drawn from the sources below. Guidance evolves — always discuss your individual circumstances with a clinician.
- Prenatal Diagnosis (Pauta et al.)Genome-wide cell-free DNA analysis for aneuploidy detection in miscarriages: test performance meta-analysis2025
- The Lancet (Schlaikjaer Hartwig et al.)Cell-free fetal DNA for genetic evaluation in Copenhagen Pregnancy Loss Study (COPL): a prospective cohort study2023
- Human Reproduction (El Sammaa-Aru et al.)How big is the time window for cell-free fetal DNA testing after pregnancy loss and which factors are associated with a successful result?2026
- Tommy'sUsing fetal DNA to detect chromosomal abnormalities following miscarriageAccessed October 2026
- RCOGRecurrent Miscarriage (Green-top Guideline No. 17)2023
- NHS EnglandNational Genomic Test Directory: testing criteria for rare and inherited disease (version 9.1)2026
- NICEEctopic pregnancy and miscarriage (NG126): diagnosis of viable intrauterine pregnancy and of tubal ectopic pregnancy2026