Scientists Develop ‘Safe’ Test for Down’s Syndrome

Scientists working on a Down’s syndrome test that poses no risk to unborn babies have published promising results. At present, pregnant women at high risk of carrying a baby with Down’s syndrome may be offered diagnostic tests, which involve removing tissue or fluid from the womb. But the procedures carry risks of miscarriage. A study by researchers in Maryland, USA, published in The Lancet, has focused on a non-invasive test, where blood is taken from the mother and analysed for genetic abnormalities in the child. Babies with Down’s syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 in their DNA, trisomy 21. Of the 60 samples tested, the technique correctly identified the number of chromosomes in 58 of them.

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