A COMMON test of an unborn baby’s health could also provide a treatment for
some birth defects. The cells in the amniotic fluid—which is often sampled
for genetic testing—can be grown into the tissue needed to patch up the
defects.
One in 5000 babies is born with a “body wall defect”, such as a hole in the
abdomen or chest. Surgeons can correct it if they have enough tissue, but babies
are often too small for a graft to be taken from elsewhere on their bodies.
One solution is to take cells from an unborn baby and grow…
