Health Alert: DNA Tests May Accurately Determine Sex of Unborn Babies

Mothers can Learn Gender of Fetus with Blood Test

Mothers-to-be who are aching to learn the gender of their fetus may be satisfied with a noninvasive blood test that can be performed after only seven weeks of gestation.

A new analysis published in the August 10 issue of JAMA found that while testing the blood of the mother was accurate in determining the sex of her fetus, urine-based tests were unreliable. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health performed a systematic review and analysis of previous research on the validity of cell-free fetal DNA testing.

Currently, the standard method for determining a baby’s sex and checking for single-gene disorders is cytogenetic determination, an invasive process that has measurable rates of causing pregnancy loss. Sonograms can currently determine the sex of the baby at 11 weeks, though it is not reliable, researchers found.

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