First trimester Down syndrome testing now available

Washington Post reports that a study of more than 38,000 U.S. women found a screening method, which combines a blood test with an ultrasound exam, can pinpoint many fetuses with the common genetic disorder 11 weeks after conception. While the testing has drawn criticism from opponents of abortion, researcher Fergal D. Malone of the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, who led the study published in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, felt that it would not result in more abortions.