The Union Government’s move to introduce prenatal testing to detect genetic flaws is a welcome move in the direction of child health care in view of the rising cases of child birth chromosomal and genetic disorders. The disorders account for 30 to 40 per cent of mental social handicaps. But the lopsided fear of growing unscrupulous test centres under the guise of conducting the banned sex test cannot be ruled out for quick money. Chromosomal and genetic disorders cause severe problems such as mental retardation, heart and intestinal diseases. The prenatal testing involving a revolutionary screening method is a non-evasive one in pregnant women. It is a safer screening option compared to the existing testing methods which have a risk of abortion. The process will allow safer and definite detection of any disorder in the foetus. There are a variety of prenatal screening tests to help identify if a pregnant woman is at an increased risk of carrying a baby with certain birth defects. There are three different kinds of screening tests. Testing can begin as early as 10 weeks, and involves one or two blood tests and possibly an ultrasound depending on the specific testing method chosen. The newest screening test, highly accurate and noninvasive, relies on foetal genetic fragments found in the mother’s blood. Available commercially this test is so accurate in detecting down syndrome that few, if any, affected foetuses are missed, and far fewer women need an invasive procedure to confirm or refute the presence of the syndrome, according to studies in several countries. The process will allow a paradigm shift in diagnosis because it will help in detecting the disability at an early stage within the womb. The catch comes here with unchecked opportunities at the disposal of the so-called testing centres, one cannot overrule the emergence of ‘sex-testing’ centres, which will be responsible for such a situation?
