New Test Detects Down Syndrome Earlier

Researchers say they can tell a month earlier which women are carrying fetuses that might have Down syndrome.

The combination of blood tests and ultrasound can screen for fetuses with the developmental disorder before the women are visibly pregnant.

Researchers tested the new combination on more than 8,500 pregnant women, and the test identified 85 percent of affected fetuses as early as about 12 weeks. That's about a month faster than current screenings, giving women who test positive the option to abort.

But 9 percent of the time, the test incorrectly indicated a fetus probably had Down syndrome -- and the false positives rose along with the women's age. So Dr. Ronald Wapner, lead researcher from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, said the next step for women who test positive could be more precise but riskier and more invasive tests.

The study is published in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.