Pre-natal genotyping

[Judith]

I am not fully versed in the newest techniques available these days but is it really possible to do a genetic mapping of a fetus at only 2 months of age? I would think that since it was still in development it might be problematic to remove any cells from the fetus. also… could this be done without the father, because that also seems like it shouldn’t be possible and I feel I am being lied to for some reason.

[Carla]

The earliest type of prenatal test where you can do genetic testing of a fetus would be the CVS, which can be done between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. After that, the next available option would be amniocentesis, which is usually done between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. Both of these procedures do have some risk of miscarriage, so they are not typically done unless there is a medical indication (family history of a genetic disease, mother’s age over 35 years, abnormal blood tests, etc).

What type of genetic testing are you referring to? Most of these tests do not require any blood sample or consent from the father. If you are talking about paternity testing, however, this can’t be done without a blood sample from the father.

[Leonard_B]

Based on what I have read, this is not worth the risk. As Carla mentioned, there is a risk of miscarriage. You will have to discuss your options first with your doctor if you absolutely need or want the testing to be done.

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