Safe gene test for mums to be.

The Pap smear test, widely used to screen for cervical cancer, is being modified to create a safe prenatal test for genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome. With existing invasive screening methods, there is a small risk of triggering miscarriages, so usually only those women at high risk of having a child with a genetic disorder opt for tests. A safe test, however, could be offered to all pregnant women, and smear tests have a good track record. In remote areas samples could even be mailed to labs for analysis. Single cells can then be tested to confirm that they are from the fetus, and further tests are done to spot a range of genetic abnormalities.