The NHS should take steps to respond to new types of fetal testing set to become increasingly available in the next few years, an expert group has recommended in a report published this week.

Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis uses cell-free fetal DNA that circulates in the mother’s blood during pregnancy. It can be used in several ways, including determination of fetal sex by detecting male Y chromosome DNA in fetuses at risk of a sex linked disease; diagnosing some single gene disorders; detection of an abnormal ratio of chromosomes, such as in Down’s syndrome; and determination of blood type in fetuses at risk of incompatibility, particularly the rhesus D …