New Prenatal Test Can Be Done Earlier & At Less Risk

Offer parents-to-be more info on baby's health

A new prenatal test can be done as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy and is less invasive than others, say doctors. MaterniT-21 Plus, a genetic blood test, can be most beneficial for mothers having children later in life and who are therefore at greater risk of delivering a baby with genetic abnormalities, like Down Syndrome. According to Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical editor for NBC News, the test is the next scientific step to let couples rule out, or prepare for, such instances. MaterniT-21 Plus costs roughly the same as amniocentesis, about $2,000, and it may be covered by insurance. It claims an accuracy rate of close to 99 percent and Dr. Allan Bombard, chief medical officer of the test's maker Sequenom, says, "The advantage is there is no risk to the tester, there's no invasive testing." (Today)

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