Safer test developed to test Downs syndrome in the unborn child
Last updated 08/10/2008 23:26:48
Safer test developed to test Downs syndrome in the unborn child
Good news for pregnant women - scientists have developed what
they say is a safer blood test to tell if an unborn baby has Down's
syndrome.
This is encouraging news because the usual invasive procedures risk miscarriage and damage to the foetus.
A Stanford University test of DNA evidence in 18 pregnant women's blood correctly identified nine cases of Down's syndrome.
The university is seeking a larger-scale test. Babies with Down's syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, causing physical and intellectual impairments.
If a foetus has three copies of chromosome 21 rather than the normal two, there will also be a relative increase in the quantity of chromosome 21 in the mother's blood because DNA can cross the placenta from the baby to the mother.