WASHINGTON (AFP) - A new prenatal test to detect genetic disorders such as Down's Syndrome could render current riskier procedures "obsolete," according to new research published Monday. The new method, developed by researchers at Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California requires a simple blood sample from the mother to spot chromosomal disorders. The test examines fragments of fetal DNA in the mother's blood. "Right now, people are risking their pregnancies to get this information," said Yair Blumenfeld, a postdoctoral medical fellow in obstetrics and gynecology and co-author of a paper describing the technique. Current prenatal gene tests carry a small risk of miscarriage, as the sampling requires inserting a needle in the uterus. "Non-invasive testing will be much safer than current...
[read full story]
Your Web Site
