Medicosnext
NIFTY® (Non-Invasive Fetal TrisomY test) of BGI Diagnosis Co. Ltd., China, is a non-invasive prenatal test that offers screening for certain genetic conditions due to extra or missing genetic information in the baby’s DNA. The test uses the latest genetic sequencing technology and has over 99% accuracy for the three most common trisomy conditions present at birth, that is, Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, and Patau syndrome. Besides also offering optional testing for other genetic conditions like deletion syndromes and sex chromosome aneuploidies, NIFTY® can also provide gender information. The test consists of a small maternal blood draw and is available from week 10 of pregnancy, with results being available within 10 days.
Now, a report by Reuters says that BGI Diagnosis Co. Ltd. is harvesting genetic data of millions of women from around the world “for sweeping research on the traits of populations,” and that the test “is a source of genetic data for the company, which has worked with the Chinese military to improve ‘population quality’ and on genetic research to combat hearing loss and altitude sickness in soldiers.” The test is sold in at least 52 countries, and till date, has been used by over eight million women globally. BGI says it stores and re-analyzes left-over blood samples and genetic data from the prenatal tests to detect certain abnormalities in the fetus. The tests also capture the mother’s genetic information, besides physical traits like height and weight. While other companies selling prenatal tests also re-use data for research, BGI said that it has never been asked to provide, nor provided, data from its NIFTY® tests to the government for national security or national defense security purposes.
