MaterniT21 is the name of the new prenatal test that can detect genetic abnormalities at just 10 weeks with 99 percent accuracy.

The new DNA-based screening test is a simple procedure, it only requires a blood sample from the mother. MaterniT21 can pinpoint genetic disorders like Down syndrome by examining fetal DNA in the mother’s blood.

In the past, to detect Down syndrome, doctors would perform an amniocentesis, which entails placing an elongated needle into the mother’s belly button to retrieve an amniotic fluid sample. Unlike MaterniT21, an amniocentesis procedure could only give parent’s a probability that their baby would be born with a genetic disorder.