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LONDON — A new test dubbed "Pink or Blue" promises to tell parents the sex of their fetus six weeks into pregnancy, but critics question its reliability and say it could pose an array of ethical issues.
The British company DNA Worldwide began selling the test over the Internet in April targeting a broad world audience. A U.S. company has been selling the test online, mainly to Americans, since last year.
The company does not ship to countries, including China and India, where there is sometimes a marked preference for boys over girls. Some experts suggested the test could lead some parents to abort if they were unhappy with the result.
The test works by analyzing fetal DNA that leaks into the mother's bloodstream. Some experts expressed doubts about the technique.
"The earlier in pregnancy that you do these tests, the less fetal DNA there will be around, and possibly, the less accurate the test will be," said Dr. Patrick O'Brien, a consultant obstetrician and spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
"At six weeks of pregnancy, it's...