A 32-year-old woman is confirmed as being 6 weeks pregnant. She feels well, and has no past medical history. This is her second pregnancy; the first pregnancy was uncomplicated and she delivered at term, but the baby was anemic due to beta-thalassemia. She is now worried that the current pregnancy may also be affected. Which of the following methods is most likely to establish an accurate prenatal diagnosis?
High-Yield Explanation
Chorionic villus sampling in the first trimester with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based diagnosis has a high degree of accuracy. Cord blood electrophoresis is suitable for screening high-risk infants at birth.