Share

Sex test after six weeks

A new test dubbed "Pink or Blue" promises to tell parents the sex of their foetus just six weeks into pregnancy, but critics question its reliability and say it could open a Pandora's box of ethical issues.

British company DNA Worldwide launched the test last month for sale over the Internet targeting a broad world audience. The company bought the rights to market the technique from a US company that has been selling the test online, mainly to Americans, since last year.

The company does not ship to countries including China and India, where there is sometimes a marked preference for boys over girls. Some experts suggested the test could lead some parents to abort if they were unhappy with the result.

How the test works
The test works by analysing foetal DNA that leaks into the mother's bloodstream. Some experts expressed doubts about the technique.

"The earlier in pregnancy that you do these tests, the less foetal DNA there will be around, and possibly, the less accurate the test will be," said Dr Patrick O'Brien, a consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

"At six weeks of pregnancy, it's questionable whether the technology is that good." Parents willing to wait longer can get a head-to-toe ultrasound at 20 weeks that is almost 100 percent accurate. Invasive procedures like an amniocentesis - which carry a small risk of miscarriage - can be done at about 11 weeks.

Parents who order the Pink or Blue test receive a packet where the mother provides a spot of blood on a special card. That is sent back to the company's laboratories, and within four to six days, the gender of the foetus is revealed with up to 98 percent accuracy if instructions are properly followed, according to DNA Worldwide.

Test not regulated
Because the test is marketed as "informational" rather than medical, it is not regulated by any health authorities in Britain or abroad.

"We're trying to bridge the gap between science and the consumer," said David Nicholson, director of DNA Worldwide. "Many parents are very keen to know if it's a boy or a girl, and we are about providing that information." The test works by detecting foetal DNA that can naturally be found in the mother's blood. It looks for the male-specific Y chromosome. If the Y chromosome is detected, the foetus is a boy. If not, it's a girl.

The Pink or Blue test is based on a method developed by Italian researchers, who published their research in the journal Human Genetics in 2005. They claimed that the Y-chromosome could be reliably identified in the mother's bloodstream as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

DNA Worldwide offers customers a money-back guarantee if their results prove to be wrong. Of the hundreds of tests sold since the test went on sale in April, Nicholson says they have only had to refund one customer.

Even if DNA Worldwide's test is accurate, experts recommend that parents get professional advice.

Talk to your doctor
"Someone who takes this test should talk to their physician if they're going to do anything with that information besides buying baby clothes or painting the nursery," said Dr Rachel Masch, an obstetrician/gynaecologist at New York University School of Medicine.

"And even in that case, they might have to make a lot of returns." Other experts worried about ethical implications if parents use the information to select the gender of their babies, by getting an abortion if the test indicates the "wrong" sex.

"Sex-selection might encourage parents to view their kids as commodities," said Marcy Darnovsky, associate executive director of the Centre for Genetics and Society, a US-based public interest group. "Tests like this could normalise genetic selection and lead to a scenario where parents are one day picking out their child's characteristics from a catalogue," Darnovsky said.

Still, doctors said the technology behind the test could one day allow advanced genetic screening, like testing for chromosomal disorders such as Down Syndrome.

"If we had a safe and accurate genetic test to look at foetal DNA, that would be the holy grail," said O'Brien. – (Sapa-AP)

Read more:
Sex test controversy
Pregnancy Centre

May 2007

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE