A small new study has revealed that a smear test in early pregnancy could flag genetic disorders earlier than ever.
With current prenatal screening methods more invasive, this new research has revealed that a quick sample of cervical cells taken as early as five weeks could reveal genetic abnormalities. The study, published this week in the Journal Science Translational Medicine, carried out smear testing on a group of twenty women who were between five and nineteen weeks pregnant. The researchers highlight the potential benefits of using this less invasive method to identify possible single-gene mutations:
“Current methods for prenatal diagnosis of such mutations are limited because they are invasive…and most cannot be performed early in pregnancy. Down syndrome and other aneuploidies (abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell) occur in more than 0.2% of births worldwide and are on the rise because of advanced reproductive age.”
The researchers are optimistic about the potential of the new method:
“This non-invasive platform has the potential to provide comprehensive foetal genomic profiling as early as five weeks of gestation”
Due to the small number of women who were tested in the study, the findings are being welcomed but treated cautiously by medical professionals.
Would you avail of this test if it became widely available to expectant mamas? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @Herfamilydotie
