[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]The Harris Birthright Centre for Fetal Medicine today released results from a clinical implementation study (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/uog.125...) on the use of Ariosa Diagnostics' Harmony™ Prenatal Test in a general screening population. The test uses cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing from maternal blood to assess fetal genetic conditions such as trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome. The study looked at the feasibility, reliability and utility of performing the test in a general screening population, not just for high-risk pregnancies, and demonstrated that cfDNA testing can be safely incorporated into routine prenatal care to reduce unnecessary invasive testing, like amniocentesis.

Professor Kypros Nicolaides, a renowned maternal fetal medicine specialist and one of the authors of the study, said, “The results of our study demonstrate the value of cfDNA testing in routine screening for trisomies. This technology represents one of the greatest advances in prenatal screening and can help guide better management for any pregnant woman.”