A novel blood test that detects intellectual disabilities in babies has now gotten a nod from The Food and Drug Administration.
In an announcement made Friday, the agency said that it has authorized marketing of the Affymetrix CytoScan Dx Assay. The test uses a blood sample from the child to analyze his/her genome and detect chromosomal changes that could be associated with mental difficulties.
Certain intellectual disabilities such as Down syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome are linked with chromosomal variations. According to the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics, about two to three percent of all American children have some kind of developmental delays.
Read the full, original story: FDA Okays Blood Test that Detects Chromosomal Changes Linked with Intellectual Disabilities in Children