New Test Identifies Baby’s Gender Earlier in Pregnancy
Curious about the sex of your baby? Don’t want to wait for the mid-pregnancy sonogram?
 You now have another viable option, according to the FDA, to discover your baby’s gender as early as 7 weeks post-conception, or approximately 10 weeks after your last menstrual period.
An over-the-counter test, the “Pink or Blue Pregnancy Test with Early DNA Gender Kit (R)” by Consumer Genetics is now available, and is highly accurate if used correctly.
The patient-administered test involves two steps: performing a home urine pregnancy test and a finger-prick blood test and sending them to a DNA lab.
Results within 3-5 Days.
Results are available within 3-5 days.
The test works by detecting fetal DNA that is present in the mother’s blood. The human Y-chromosome is only found in males, so the test looks for Y-chromosomal DNA in the blood sample. If no Y –chromosomes, you are most likely having a girl. If there are Y-chromosomes, you are most likely having a boy.
There is a small chance that the blood sample may not contain fetal DNA, so could be incorrect, but is reported to be 95% accurate.
While AOA does not necessarily endorse the test, it may be helpful for expectant parents whose baby is at risk for some genetically-linked disorders to help them determine the need for more invasive or costly genetic testing.
Gender Test Helps Expecting Parents Plan Ahead
It is also meant for those who like to plan ahead for their little one. The test is not intended or endorsed for the purpose of gender selection. Consumer Genetics gives refunds for wrong results if the test collection is followed correctly.
Learn More About Kathy Abrahamson, MS, WHNP-BC, RN
10/5/11
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