Researchers Take Step Forward In Testing for Birth Defects - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Researchers Take Step Forward In Testing for Birth Defects

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Scientists have taken a step forward in developing non invasive testing for birth defects.

Using blood samples from the mother and saliva samples from the father, researchers at the University of Washington say they can read a fetus's entire genetic makeup.

The screening may eventually be used to check for thousands of genetic disorders.

And it could be a safer alternative to the more common procedure of drawing fluid from the mother's uterus.