Pro-life campaigners are warning of a rise in abortions with the release this week of a new DNA testing kit that can show the sex of a baby.

The Early Gender Test checks blood from the mother for Y-chromosomes, the presence of which indicates a boy, according to the ABC website.

The sex of a foetus can be determined by ultra-sound imagery but it is not very accurate before four to six months into a pregnancy.

The manufacturer, DNA Worldwide, says accurate results can be obtained as early as six weeks.

It says the test, which can be bought on the internet, is 99% accurate and offers a refund for wrong predictions.

But it says the test will not be sold in countries where one gender is favoured over the other.

Source: News Wire