Noninvasive Fetal Sex Determination Performed in Just 8 to 10 Weeks of Pregnancy

A simple blood test may soon become available that reveals the sex of an unborn baby.

This is the conclusion of researchers, from the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), who published their study in the January 2010 issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. The researchers' goal was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive fetal sex determination in maternal plasma. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the SRY gene and multicopy DYS14 marker sequence. Between 2003 and 2009, they tested women who were between 8 and 10 weeks pregnant, examining DNA from their blood samples to predict the sex of the babies in 186 pregnancies. They predicted 105 boys and 81 girls. They were correct every time.

This appears to be good news for parents. Determining the sex of an unborn baby can lead to early detection of specific disorders. Genetic diseases such as hemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy are carried by the X chromosome that usually occurs in males.

Critics, however, warn this is similar to opening Pandora's box as fetal testing evolves. Parents might not always appreciate what they discover. However, critics may be too late to stop the technology from progressing.

The researchers, however, concluded in their study that noninvasive fetal sex determination in maternal plasma is highly effective and clinically applicable.

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University of Amsterdam