On Oct. 6, 2008, Stanford researchers developed a test that reduced the risks in testing for chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome. The new method, developed by scientists at Stanford University, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, requires only a maternal blood sample to spot chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome.

The Stanford/Packard team developed a way to count chromosomes using bits of fetal DNA in a pregnant woman’s blood. Because fetal DNA shows up in maternal blood quite early in pregnancy, the team said their technique could provide a much earlier diagnosis for fetal aneuploidy than currently available.