Early prenatal test raises ethical questions Prenatal testing
has turned into an unlikely campaign issue. Presidential
candidate Rick Santorum said this week that some tests, in his
words, "encourage abortions." "CBS This Morning" took a look at
a new test that reveals birth abnormalities at a much earlier
stage. The test is sure to give many more pregnant women and
their families a lot to think about. Recent advancements in
genetics have helped doctors develop a safer test for Down
syndrome than amniocentesis, an invasive procedure that can
identify many genetic disorders but can also result in
miscarriage. The new test, called the MaterniT21, can be
administered at just 10 weeks and is nearly 100 percent
accurate. The test works by analyzing the mother's blood and
counts fragments from the fetus's DNA to identify the presence
of an extra chromosome, which can signify Down syndrome.
According to Dr. Brian Skotoko, a medical geneticist at
Children's Hospital Boston, this is the beginning of a new era
of prena