New Test Could Be The End of Amniocentesis

A breakthrough in testing on pregnant women could soon spell the end of an uncomfortable test, as researchers have discovered a way to map fetal DNA using only a mother’s blood.

FOX News Radio’s Bill Vitka reports:

Mothers-to-be can look ahead to the day when they no longer have to be jabbed by fat needles in the abdomen.  Amniocentesis is how doctors today determine the genetic make-up of a fetus, and potential disorders.  Now there’s a new test.  The journal “Nature” says, for the first time, it can be done without knowing who the father is.

Researchers at Stanford have been able to sequence the entire genome of a fetus using only a blood sample from the mother.  It means any abnormality can be identified early, quickly, without distress and safely.  But getting the test to your doctor will likely take a few more years.

Bill Vitka, FOX News Radio.