British protests over baby gender testing kit

Right-to-life campaigners warned of a surge in abortions following the release this week of a new DNA testing kit which determines the sex of a baby six weeks into pregnancy, a report said Friday.

The Early Gender Test, which went on sale on the Internet to non-US customers this week, checks blood from the mother for Y-chromosomes, the presence of which indicates a boy.

Michaela Aston, spokeswoman for the right-to-life charity LIFE, told The Sun newspaper: "This test is very dangerous. It could lead to babies being aborted simply for being the 'wrong' sex."
"There is a real risk that some people would choose to abort babies of a certain gender," added Julia Millington of the anti-abortion Prolife Alliance political party.

The sex of a foetus can be determined by ultra-sound imagery but it is not very accurate before four to six months and hospitals in Britain generally do not offer to identify a baby's sex to prospective partents.

The test, made by DNA Worldwide, costs 190 pounds (375 dollars, 280 euros), with an express version available for 240 pounds (475 dollars, 350 euros) allowing the result to be known within four working days.

The test works because foetal DNA is present in an expectant mother's blood only weeks into the pregnancy.

DNA Worldwide's website includes testimonials from US women who have already used the kit.

"It was strange at first to see the confirmation only written and not see the baby with my own eyes on the ultrasound, but I got adjusted to the idea pretty fast," reads one, from a woman named Loreta.