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To find the gender at six weeks

Critics say it could open a Pandora's box of issues

LONDON: A new, ethically and otherwise questionable, test dubbed "Pink or Blue" promises to tell parents the sex of their foetus just six weeks into pregnancy. Critics question its reliability and say it could open a Pandora's box of ethical issues. Such testing is illegal in India, for instance.

British company DNA Worldwide launched the test last month for sale over the Internet targeting a broad world audience. The company bought the rights to market the technique from a U.S. company that has been selling the test online, mainly to Americans, since last year.

The company does not send it to countries, including China and India, where there is sometimes a marked preference for boys over girls. Some experts suggested the test could lead some parents to abort if they were unhappy with the result.

The test works by analysing foetal DNA that leaks into the mother's bloodstream.

Some experts have expressed doubts about the technique. — AP

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