Amniocentesis News and Research

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Noninvasive prenatal DNA test can detect fetus at risk for sex-linked disorders

As a noninvasive method of determining the sex of a fetus, tests using cell-free fetal DNA obtained from the mother's blood after 7 weeks gestation performed well, while urine-based tests appear to be unreliable, according to a review and analysis of previous studies, reported in the August 10 issue of JAMA.

10 Aug 2011

Women & Infants creates fully integrated center for high-risk pregnancy

Every pregnancy deserves special treatment. But when a woman with a normal pregnancy has a complication or a woman with a medical issue becomes pregnant, she needs highly specialized care.

26 Jul 2011

Gender-based sex selection harms women's health in Asia, U.N. report says

"Gender biased sex selection, widespread in many parts of Asia, has serious and profoundly debilitating effects on the mental and physical health of women, says a report by five United Nations agencies," BMJ reports.

24 Jun 2011

GSN receives NIH grant for non-invasive prenatal test trial in genetic abnormalities

Gene Security Network announced today that they have received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a clinical trial applying Parental Support technology for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

28 Apr 2011

Trial of non-invasive prenatal test to determine Down syndrome successful

At the moment, the only reliable way of diagnosing chromosomal irregularities during pregnancy is to use invasive prenatal methods. This causes miscarriage in about one per cent of these risky surgical procedures.

14 Apr 2011

New amniochip to detect 150 genetic genetic syndromes

Genetadi Biotech has presented to the scientific community - meeting at the XXVI National Congress on Human Genetics held in Murcia - a prenatal diagnostic device based on amniocentesis.

6 Apr 2011

Down’s syndrome could be detected in mother’s blood test

European researchers have devised a blood test that could help pregnant women avoid the invasive procedures now used to diagnose Down syndrome prenatally and make the diagnosis with 100% accuracy. The study report was published this Sunday in Nature Medicine.

7 Mar 2011

Third trimester amniotic fluid a reliable source of stem cells

In a study that was presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting in San Francisco, Biocell Center, the leader in amniotic fluid banking, together with a group of collaborators, confirmed that amniotic fluid collected during the third trimester of pregnancy is a reliable source of stem cells for regenerative medicine and stem cell banking.

17 Feb 2011

New Down syndrome non-invasive test for ‘mums-to-be’ on the horizon

According to experts a simple DNA test for Down syndrome could save nearly all pregnant women from invasive tests like amniocentesis. Usually 3% to 5% of pregnant women in the UK or some 30,000 women have to undergo invasive tests like amniocentesis that increases the risk of miscarriage to 1%. The new DNA blood test could bring this down to 0.1%, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.

12 Jan 2011

DNA blood test can help rule out Down's syndrome among high risk pregnancies

The blood test could mean that 98% of invasive procedures could be avoided, say the authors. The test uses the latest DNA technology to analyse genetic components in the mother's blood that indicate whether the foetus has Down's.

12 Jan 2011

Two-thirds of fetuses with HLHS have strong chance of survival

When prenatal diagnosis detects the severe heart defect hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in a fetus, a comprehensive prenatal evaluation is important to provide parents an accurate prognosis. In HLHS, one of the heart's pumping chambers is severely underdeveloped. However, say researchers, in two-thirds of cases, reconstructive surgery affords the infant an excellent chance of early survival.

27 Oct 2010

Center for Prenatal Pediatrics: A comprehensive care center for women and children

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center today announced the opening of The Carmen and John Thain Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. The new unit will provide high-risk pregnant women and their babies the most comprehensive care currently available, all in one location.

24 Sep 2010

Amniocentesis and non-embryonic stem cells among list of "Huge Medical Breakthroughs"

Two key focus areas of Biocell Center, the nation's first amniotic fluid stem cell bank, have been recently mentioned among the most important medical discoveries of the last century. Amniocentesis and non-embryonic stem cells were among the list of "Huge Medical Breakthroughs" presented in an article by Althea Chang on Mainstreet.com, produced by TheStreet.com on June 29, 2010.

8 Jul 2010

Simple blood test may help detect chromosomal abnormalities in developing foetus

Researchers in The Netherlands believe they are on the verge of developing a simple, prenatal blood test that would be able to detect accurately chromosomal abnormalities in the developing foetus.

29 Jun 2010

Non-Invasive prenatal blood test to detect chromosomal abnormalities in foetus

Researchers in The Netherlands believe they are on the verge of developing a simple, prenatal blood test that would be able to detect accurately chromosomal abnormalities in the developing foetus. At present, the only reliable way to do this is through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which are invasive and carry the risk of triggering a miscarriage.

29 Jun 2010

AdnaGen signs option agreement to license specific antibodies to KellBenx

AdnaGen AG, a subsidiary of OncoVista Innovative Therapies, Inc., a high-growth global biotech company developing proprietary, leading-edge early detection and drug technologies to enable safe, targeted personal cancer treatments, today announced that it has entered into an option agreement to license specific antibodies to KellBenx Inc., a New York-based private biotech firm.

19 Jun 2010

Investment report on Sequenom from MicroStockProfit.com

MicroStockProfit.com announces an investment report featuring Sequenom Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analysis, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

20 Apr 2010

Human amniotic fluid skin cells "reprogrammed" to pluripotency

In a breakthrough that may help fill a critical need in stem cell research and patient care, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have demonstrated that skin cells found in human amniotic fluid can be efficiently "reprogrammed" to pluripotency, where they have characteristics similar to human embryonic stem cells that can develop into almost any type of cell in the human body. The study is online now and will appear in print in the next issue of the journal Cellular Reprogramming, to be published next month.

16 Mar 2010

New article sheds light on the costs and benefits of screening for SMA

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is one of many serious disorders for which prenatal testing is available. SMA affects approximately 1 in 10,000 live births and is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality and the second most common autosomal recessive disorder, after cystic fibrosis. Although the American College of Medical Genetics recommends carrier testing for all couples, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued a recommendation to the contrary, citing lack of information about the costs and benefits of screening for SMA.

9 Mar 2010

Fetuses exposed to high levels of stress hormone may have solving problems later on: Study

A mother's nurture may provide powerful protection against risks her baby faces in the womb, according to a new article published online today in the journal Biological Psychiatry. The research shows that fetuses exposed to high levels of stress hormone - shown to be a harbinger for babies' poor cognitive development - can escape this fate if their mothers provide them sensitive care during infancy and toddler-hood.

26 Feb 2010