SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Congratulations! You just found out you're pregnant. What if you didn't have to wait for the 20-week ultra-sound to know if you're having a boy or a girl? A California company claims it can confirm pink or blue as early as seven weeks into a pregnancy.
While some critics question its reliability and say it could pose an array of ethical questions – ABC 4 found a Bountiful couple excited to put the gender test to the test.
Jenifer and Chad Petersen just found out they are having a baby. “It was really hard to keep our mouths shut actually. Because I'm not very good at keeping secrets,“ jokes Jenifer.
Now they can't wait to know if they should paint the nursery pink or blue.
“You can start buying stuff. It just makes it a lot easier,” explains Chad.
Many anxious moms and dads pass the time before the much-anticipated 20-week ultra-sound conducting a myriad of gender predicting old wives tales such as consulting the Chinese Gender Chart or performing mystical wedding ring prognostication. For that one the mom puts her ring on a chain and if it swings in a circle over the belly or wrist, it’s a boy – side to side it’s a girl. Jenifer and Chad consulted both these myths for fun, and both point to boy.
But at just 8 weeks after conception, the Petersens may know sooner than later.
Jenifer is about to take Consumer Genetics' Pink or Blue Early Gender Test. It claims it can predict the baby's sex as early as seven weeks into a pregnancy.
With a prick of the finger, Jenifer collects a blood sample.
Once the test is packed up and mailed off, depending on which service is ordered, the couple can have the results as early as three days after the sample is received by the DNA lab.
The test examines the presence or absence of male DNA in the mother's blood stream. In a study involving over 18-hundred women, the method of testing was 99-percent accurate. Consumer Genetics states, in the hands of the consumer, its test is accurate over 95-percent of the time.
The test is not regulated by health authorities and some doctors say it raises some ethical questions. “Its great information if it turns out to be accurate, but again, I think we should be
weary of the results and what people will do with them,” warns Dr. Susan Rose, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist at University of Utah Medical Center.
In light of this, Consumer Genetics states on it's website that it won't sell the test to China or India where gender selection is a big concern.
But, Dr. Rose adds, “You would hate to have this end up being something that would help someone terminate a pregnancy if the gender wasn't as they expected.”
Chad expresses his excitement for either gender, “I wouldn't complain if it was a boy. But I'd be happy with a girl because we have this one and she's a cutie.”
And while the Petersens wait for their results, Dr. Rose reminds couples that tests like this one should never replace a medical ultra-sound. “The point of the ultra-sound is not actually to find out the sex. It's to do an anatomic survey so to make sure that the anatomy of the baby is all ok.”
But for the Petersens, that is still 11 weeks away.
As promised, three days after Jen over-nighted her blood sample, it’s DNA D-day.
“We are pleased to inform you that it’s a girl,” Jenifer reads. To which she and her husband Chad respond with an array of cheers and smiles.
“I am personally so excited because she needs a little friend and we already have a bunch of girl things,” say Jenifer and Chad.
The tests range in price depending on how fast you want the results back. The express service is $299, and regular service is $194.
And here’s an interesting side note, no men can be present during the blood collection, because the test is so sensitive to male DNA.
The Petersens will have an ultra-sound in July. We will be sure to let you know if that result matches this DNA test. Consumer Genetics offers a money-back guarantee if the results prove to be wrong.
To find out more, go to
http://www.consumergenetics.com.
