A Pap smear can scoop up fetal cells for genome testing

The technique may be helpful for treating some disorders before birth

9 week ultrasound

EARLY DAYS  This ultrasound is of a 9-week-old fetus. A new test using fetal cells obtained from a Pap smear can scan a fetus’s genome as early as five weeks.

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Scanning a fetus’s genome just a few weeks after conception may soon be an option for expecting parents.