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Ultrasound screening of pregnant women combined with blood tests can reduce Down syndrome births by up to 50% Professor Karen Brøndum-Nielsen, of the Kennedy Institute, Glostrup, Denmark, has told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics.

Traditional tests for Downs include Amniocentesis where a needle is inserted through the mother’s abdomen into the amniotic sac to take a fluid sample and Chorionic villus testing where a sample is taken from the mother’s placenta. Both of these tests are invasive and carry a small risk of miscarriage (around 1% for most women, although it may be higher for some groups).

Ultrasound screening is a non-invasive process which allows physicians and other medical professionals to view your baby as it grows inside your womb. Ultrasound was first used in the 1950s to provide still images of internal organs, today’s scanners provide much improved images and also moving pictures.