World’s first blood test reduces risk and increases cleanness in prenatal testing
Scientists at Plymouth University have evolved a non-invasive, low risk and accurate blood test that can find out foetal blood group, sex, and genetic conditions in unborn babies.
“Although foetal blood grouping and sexing using maternal blood has been done for over a decennary, this research proves a much more accurate and susceptive method of detecting foetal DNA,” said lead corresponding author professor Neil Avent.
The boold test evolved can be carried out on mothers at risk of X-linked genetic recessive diseases including haemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy and mothers at risk of haemolytic disease of the newborn.
“This offers great opportunities to find out other situation using this technique, but is much cheaper than present non-invasive methods. The end is now in sight for the invasive techniques of amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.
The technique represents a relatively low-risk method for the early recognisance of a number of situation, which in turn will aid earlier prognostic and possible therapies to the potential benefit of both mother and child.
“Doing a test is an option for people continuing with a pregnancy as they have the right to know what is ahead,” said Dr Ross Welch, a consultant in feto-maternal medicine at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.
