From the [UK] Times, [UK] Telegraph:

A test that can detect Down syndrome from the blood of pregnant women has raised the prospect of routine screening for the condition for every expectant mother who wants it.

… The experimental procedure, developed in Hong Kong, has been shown to diagnose 90 per cent of Down syndrome cases in a small trial, while also correctly identifying 97 per cent of fetuses that do not have the condition.

If its accuracy can be improved and it is validated in larger patient trials, which scientists believe should take three to five years, it would transform prenatal testing for Down syndrome

Lead researcher Dennis Lo, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the effect of the research would be to reduce the risk of spontaneous abortion from invasive testing, as well as to reduce women’s psychological stress. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Ethicist’s reaction here.

Related posts here and here.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 21st, 2008 at 5:49 am and is filed under Down syndrome, genetics, NOT2BEMISSED, prenatal diagnosis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.