New test for at-risk pregnancies
Feb. 15
[Health India]: BASEL, Switzerland, Feb. 15 : A Swiss study has found a technique — size-fractionation — performed on a sample of the mother’s blood can help identify at-risk pregnancies.
Researchers at University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland, have been able to identify fetal DNA molecules separate from maternal DNA as a way to determine which pregnancies may be at risk for genetic disorders, according to a preliminary communication in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.
Currently, prenatal diagnosis of hereditary genetic disorders relies on invasive procedures, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villous sampling — a prenatal test that detects genetic abnormalities, which are associated with a small, but significant risk of fetal loss.
“This low-cost and use of simple equipment is especially suitable for the screening of at-risk pregnancies in developing nations,” said researcher Ying Li.
The authors conclude that their approach is relatively simple, does not need complex machinery and is cost-effective.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
