Screening at nine weeks will lead to sex selection, say experts

A BLOOD test which identifies a baby’s sex at nine weeks, as well as undesirable traits, should be restricted to prevent abortions for spurious reasons, a Government-backed think tank has said.

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a new screening tool which was designed to diagnose Down’s syndrome.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has warned that unscrupulous clinics could use it to ensure parents have a boy or a baby with desirable genetic traits.

Professor Tom Shakespeare, chairman of the body’s NIPT working group, said: “Abortions on the basis of sex appear to be rare in Britain. However, this could change with a new DNA testing method that allows the baby’s sex to be revealed to prospective parents much earlier.

“If left unchecked, use of this technique to determine sex could lead to an increase in sex-selective abortions here, and to Britain becoming a destination for them. The test also allows whole genome sequencing which is a serious thing. We are calling for a moratorium to be put in place.”

NIPT uses a blood sample from the placenta and is seen as a breakthrough because it negates the risk of miscarriage caused by conventional invasive tests. From this year, the NHS will offer it for Down’s, Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes screening if doctors fear the baby has a higher than average risk.

However, the Nuffield Council say private doctors sell the test to couples whose children have no known risk of medical conditions.

Prof Shakespeare said: “Use of NIPT to determine sex at an early stage of pregnancy could be abused.”