Cell free fetal DNA
Okay, let's imagine that inside a mommy's belly, there's a tiny little baby growing.
Now, when a baby is growing inside the mommy, some of its body parts and cells (like its blood cells) might end up floating around in the mommy's blood.
These little baby cells contain something called DNA, which is like the baby's "instruction manual" that tells its body how to grow and develop.
Scientists have figured out a way to find and collect these little baby cells (or the pieces of them that contain the DNA) from the mommy's blood. This is called "cell-free fetal DNA".
By studying this fetal DNA, doctors and scientists can learn information about the baby's health and development without having to do invasive tests (like amniocentesis) that might hurt the mommy or the baby.
So, in short, cell-free fetal DNA is a way of studying small pieces of a growing baby's DNA that can be found in the mommy's blood, so doctors and scientists can learn more about the baby's health without having to do anything harmful to the mommy or the baby.
Now, when a baby is growing inside the mommy, some of its body parts and cells (like its blood cells) might end up floating around in the mommy's blood.
These little baby cells contain something called DNA, which is like the baby's "instruction manual" that tells its body how to grow and develop.
Scientists have figured out a way to find and collect these little baby cells (or the pieces of them that contain the DNA) from the mommy's blood. This is called "cell-free fetal DNA".
By studying this fetal DNA, doctors and scientists can learn information about the baby's health and development without having to do invasive tests (like amniocentesis) that might hurt the mommy or the baby.
So, in short, cell-free fetal DNA is a way of studying small pieces of a growing baby's DNA that can be found in the mommy's blood, so doctors and scientists can learn more about the baby's health without having to do anything harmful to the mommy or the baby.