Israeli scientists are holding trials on a new method of screening for fetuses and say it could provide all the information received from an amniocentesis without the risks.
Times of Israel reported that a simple regular blood sample is taken, rather than the amniocentesis practice of using a needle to extract amniotic fluid, which carries a risk of miscarriage.
The new technique can be performed four weeks earlier than amniocentesis — at 10 weeks instead of the standard 14 — and provides as much information on the risks of numerous syndromes, diseases, and disorders.
After the method is eventually perfected for embryos, it could be adapted for screening children and adults for a range of diseases that manifest themselves with abnormal DNA, such as cancers
Source TOI/ Photo REUTERS