A new test detecting fetal DNA in a mother?s blood could reduce invasive procedures, such as amniocentesis and removal of tissue from the uterus, to predict birth defects.

In “A Non-invasive Test for Prenatal Diagnosis Based on Fetal DNA Present in Maternal Blood: A Preliminary Study,” published in The Lancet online, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing student Kara Franz and colleagues describe their work isolating fetal DNA to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities.