Gateway Genomics Attends Maternity & Midwifery Festival in London to Expand Market for SneakPeek Clinical Early Gender DNA Test in the UK

LA JOLLA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Gateway Genomics, leading developer of direct-to-consumer genetic tests that give families insight into their future children, attended the 2020 session of the London Maternity & Midwifery Festival in January to share the benefits SneakPeek Clinical can bring to the patients of midwifery professionals.

SneakPeek Clinical is a version of the SneakPeek Early DNA Gender Test that allows pregnant women to visit participating locations to have blood drawn by a phlebotomist. The sample is then sent to SneakPeek Labs for DNA analysis. Gender results are delivered straight to mom through email as early as 1-2 days after having her blood drawn.

"We've been delighted by the reception SneakPeek Clinical has received in the UK," says Gateway Genomics CEO, Chris Jacob. "Despite only launching last October, we've seen such immense interest that the number of participating locations in the country are now in the double digits. Attending the MMF conference in London is a foray into a new set of professionals that we believe can be greatly benefited with access to this product for their patients."

Midwifery is extremely prevalent in the UK. Nearly all planned births, from home deliveries to complex C-sections have midwives in attendance. The National Health Service (NHS) alone employs over 21,000 midwives. "We saw overwhelming interest in the SneakPeek Clinical product at the MMF conference," continues Mr. Jacob. "About 10% of the total conference attendees stopped by to discuss becoming an authorized distributor, and we've already begun talks with a number of the practitioners. We see this segment growing strongly in the next couple of years."

Like other NIPTs, SneakPeek uses cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) from a maternal blood sample for analysis. Unlike other NIPTs which screen for fetal chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome and trisomy 18, SneakPeek only looks for the presence or absence of male chromosomes, enabling high sensitivity and accuracy earlier. This enables SneakPeek to be taken at 8 weeks into pregnancy rather than waiting until 10 to 12 weeks of gestational age. For those who would like to know gender earlier than the 20-week anatomy scan or want a more affordable path than the typical NIPT, SneakPeek Clinical is a self-pay solution that returns fetal sex at 8 weeks into pregnancy for as little as £129.

The London Maternity & Midwifery Festival draws over 1,700 professionals annually for revalidation training, expert speakers, and engaging seminars. It is the UK and Ireland's largest regional gathering of midwifery practitioners and provides a vibrant forum for exchanging and sharing the industry's best practices and newest technologies.

About Gateway Genomics

Gateway Genomics is a personal genomics company with the mission to develop leading-edge genetic tests that give families a new level of understanding about their future children. Since inception, more than 160,000 SneakPeek Early Gender DNA tests have been provided to help new parents bond with their babies, make plans, and connect with friends and family around them. Gateway Genomics is located in La Jolla, CA.

SOURCE Gateway Genomics