A simple blood test is transforming the world of prenatal screening, offering women a risk-free way to learn about fetal abnormalities early in pregnancy. Already, the new test has drastically reduced ...

See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. During Audrey Fosse's first two pregnancies, at ages 30 and 33, early ...

Is simply being 35 or older enough reason for a pregnant woman to undergo amniocentesis to check for Down syndrome? The older mothers-to-be are, the higher their risk of having babies with this fairly ...

The thought of a 3-inch needle made me cringe. But the risk of miscarriage was what really worried me. So, after talking with my husband, my doctor and a genetic counselor, I decided to forgo ...

I remember 15 years ago, my colleagues and I in high risk obstetrics were discussing the future possibility of analyzing fetal cells in maternal blood. Back then, the task seemed daunting since there ...

A simple blood test is transforming the world of prenatal screening, offering women a risk-free way to learn about fetal abnormalities early in pregnancy. Already, the new test has dramatically ...

When Amy Seitz got pregnant with her second child last year, she knew that being 35 years old meant there was an increased chance of chromosomal disorders like Down syndrome. She wanted to be screened ...

Amniocentesis (sometimes called "amnio") is a test in which your doctor takes a small sample of amniotic fluid from around your baby. This fluid contains some of your baby’s cells which hold essential ...

A new test that checks unborn babies for Down syndrome may be on the market in two years, replacing the dreaded but common amniocentesis. The new urine test would be less painful and risky than the ...