New blood test for Down syndrome

Health Minister Edith Schippers has decided to allow pregnant women to take a new DNA blood test to check whether their child has Down syndrome, the Volkskrant reports citing Reuters. Newborn Screening / Wikipedia After a recommendation by the Health Council, Schippers has authorized a trial of the SIPS test at eight university hospitals. The trial will start from April 1, 2014. The new test can collect information about the DNA of the fetus from the blood of the woman. It can determine whether there are abnormalities in the chromosomes, including Petau's syndrome or Edward's syndrome, Nos reports. The test is being used in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, China and the United States, Nos said.