DNA test to 'predict future fertility'

• Print
• Share
• Comment

Rex Features

Women concerned about their fertility will soon be able to find out exactly how many fertile years they've got left, thanks to a new test developed by leading scientists.

The breakthrough follows the discovery of a gene called ‘Fragile X' that indicates the rate at which a woman's egg supply will diminish over the years. By monitoring the speed of the biological clock, the test can reveal how many eggs a woman has left - and give early warning of declining fertility.

If a woman tests positive, she can opt to start a family sooner - or freeze some eggs to increase the chances of conceiving a child later on, according to reports in the the Daily Mail.

Professor Norbert Gleicher, of the Centre for Human Reproduction in New York, said: 'We can take an 18 or 20-year-old girl and check her Fragile X and make a pretty good prediction of whether she's at risk.'

The state of the gene Fragile X can predict the rate at which a woman's egg supply may diminish over the years, creating an effective 'early warning system' for fertility, according to reports in the New Scientist.

If women test positive, they will be given a back-up hormone test that can confirm that their egg supply is running out more quickly. Earlier this year, British fertility doctor Professor Bill Ledger said women should take a 'fertility MOT' aged 30 to show how quickly their biological clock is ticking.

But would you take a fertility test to find out how many fertile years you've got left? Let us know by posting your views below...

PREGNANCY HEALTH PLAN: TOP TIPS FOR MUMS-TO-BE

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH NEWS

Thursday 5 November 2009

• Next Article

  

  Strange trend alert! Pointy bras see rising sales Read more...

• Last Article

  

  Angelina Jolie stocks up on Stella McCartney for GAP Kids! Read more...