A new genetic test using microarray analysis provides a more comprehensive examination of a fetus’s DNA than the currently used karotyping, a study has shown.
A clinical trial of 4,400 patients over four years found microarray, which compares a fetus’s DNA with a normal control DNA, performed as well as karotyping in identifying extra or missing chromosomes, and also identified additional abnormalities undetected by karotyping.
Like karotyping, microarray requires an invasive procedure such as amniocentesis or chronic villus sampling to obtain fetal cells for analysis.
Scientists are working to develop a non-invasive method of conducting microarray, using a sample of the mother’s blood, to replace karotyping as the standard for evaluating chromosomal abnormalities.
Read more at Columbia University