Early pregnancy gender test sparks controversy

A new test that can reveal an embryo's gender as early as the sixth week of pregnancy is being marketed via the Internet. The kit, sold by DNA Worldwide for £189, is non-invasive and only requires a sample of the mother's blood. The company claims the test, which looks for the presence of a male Y chromosome, is 98 per cent accurate. However, critics say it will lead couples to abort embryos that are not of the desired sex.

Last year, scientists based at the Institute of Child Health, London and Bristol reported progress in non-invasive pregnancy tests, using tiny amounts of 'free fetal DNA' found in the mother's blood. The team is using the technique to offer an alternative to invasive tests such as amniocentesis or CVS (chorionic villus sampling) for the early detection of genetic conditions that usually affect either males or females. But concerns have been expressed about the use of the technique for early gender detection for social, rather than medical reasons.

David Nicholson, director of DNA Worldwide, said: 'This test has been available in America since 2006, it is based on a leading scientific study from Italy in 2005 showing 98 per cent accuracy and is an incredible advance in science'. Customers cited a variety of reasons for wanting the test, but 'in the main it is as ordinary as choosing the correct nursery furniture and clothing colours'. He added that 'a significant proportion of customers already have several children of the same sex and just knowing takes the stress out of the early stages of the pregnancy', while others had used it 'in order to inform a father or grandparent the sex of a child that they might not meet because of illness or old age'.

Julia Millington, of the ProLife Alliance, said: 'the test is very likely to be abused by those who have a preference for one sex or the other, and do not want to have a baby of the 'wrong' sex, and who will chose to abort the pregnancy if it is not the boy or girl they desire'. Nicholson countered that studies have shown that in the western world there is no favour shown to one gender or the other. 'In countries where this is shown to be the case, the test is not sold', he added.

A spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: 'It is to be hoped that the birth of every baby will be a special moment for the parents, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl. Focus should remain firmly on the health and care of the mother and developing baby, rather than gender'.