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New Prenatal Gene Test Proves Safer

Checks mom's blood for defects without miscarriage risk

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 7, 2008 3:41 AM CDT

(Newser) – Scientists have developed a prenatal test for genetic defects much safer than the ones currently in use, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Methods like amniocentesis can spot chromosomal disorders like Down Syndrome, but involve inserting a needle into the uterus, which carries close to a 1-in-200 risk of miscarriage. The new method uses advancements in DNA science and requires only a blood sample from the mother.

The technique, which uses bits of fetal DNA in the mother's blood to count chromosomes, still needs to go through a larger clinical trial. "I am extraordinarily excited,'' said the senior author of the study of the new test, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He said his wife was tested with more invasive procedures to screen for genetic defects during her two pregnancies. "Both were nerve-wracking experiences."

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Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling can test for genetic defects in fetuses but at the risk of miscarriage. (elbebecom)

A new prenatal genetic test is as accurate and much safer than existing methods, scientists say. (Shutter Stock)

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Right now, people are risking their pregnancies to get this information. - Dr. Yair Blumenfeld, a Stanford postdoctoral medical fellow in obstetrics and gynecology and co-author of the paper describing the new technique

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New Prenatal Gene Test Proves Safer