Swobidu Health

Posts Tagged ‘blood samples’

By Clyde Holmes on March 16, 2011

A simple blood test during pregnancy may give hope in detecting down syndrome early on, according to a new study.  An experiment conducted using blood samples has identified all normal and all down syndrome pregnancy with 100 percent accuracy.

Cyprus scientists took blood samples from pregnant women and mothers of down syndrome and healthy babies. the study authors said that in each case, the test quickly identified the chromosomal variation pointing out 14 down syndrome cases and 26 normal fetuses.  the new test eliminates the risk of miscarriage and can identify down syndrome in the 11th week of pregnancy.

At present, down syndrome is diagnosed using either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. These tests are 80% accurate and pose a 1 or 2 percent miscarriage such that only about one in ten pregnant women go for the procedure.

Researcher Philippos Patsalis, chief executive medical director of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics in Nicosia led the research. He and his colleagues said that the test could become standard practice if larger clinical trials confirm the results. Being less expensive than invasive trials, the said test could be introduced in clinical practice in a couple of years.

Dr. Brian Skotko, spokesman for the National down Syndrome Society, said the study has widespread implications for the incidence of down syndrome.  with this new clinical procedure, women will know if their baby has down syndrome even before they look pregnant   Skotko added that by this, they will be able to make a very personal decision without anyone realizing it.