A NY Times report has revealed that University of Washington scientists have discovered a way to tell almost the exact DNA of a fetus.

By taking a blood sample around 18 weeks into pregnancy from the new mother, as well as saliva sample from the father, parents could be well on their way to discovering everything they wanted to know about their soon to be born baby.

“It’s an extraordinary piece of technology, really quite remarkable,” said Peter Benn, professor of genetics and developmental biology at the University of Connecticut. “What I see in this paper is a glance into the future.”

With this discovery, virtually any diseases could be detected prenatally, an astonishing feat for medicine.

The cost, however, is just as astonishing.

Researchers at the University of Washington estimate it will cost between 20,000 and 50,000 dollars for just one fetus anaylsis. For now this science is not available on the market, but within the next three to five years, it could be readily available.

Read more in the NY Times here.

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