Science & technology | Hidden in plain sightA routine test for fetal abnormalities could improve a mother’s healthStudies show these can help detect pre-eclampsia and predict preterm births Illustration: Anna Kövecses Jun 11th 2025WHEN NON-INVASIVE prenatal testingarrived in 2011, it transformed pregnancy. With a simple blood test, scientists could now sweep a mother’s bloodstream for scraps of placental DNA, uncovering fetal genetic defects and shedding light on the health of the unborn baby. But the potential to monitor the mother’s health went largely unappreciated.Explore moreThis article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Testing time”From the June 14th 2025 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents⇒Explore the editionReuse this content #routine #test #fetal #abnormalities #could