In an effort to cut the risk of developing embryos with genetic defects, British scientists have come up with a new test that would detect disorders in embryos before implantation.

The new rapid screening test is applicable only to embryos created through IVF.

The test will prove especially beneficial to those couples who do not suffer from a fertility problem but have an increased risk of giving birth to a child with a genetic disorder.

The technique, which is being presented at a European fertility conference, uses DNA fingerprinting to detect genetic disorders in embryos, instead of searching for an altered gene linked to an inherited illness.

Alison Lashwood of Guy and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, England where the test was developed said," Because you are not looking for the gene, which can be different in different families, these markers can be applied to lots of families."

According to a report by Reuters, the test has been used on seven women so far, five of whom are pregnant.

The women were tested for cystic fibrosis, a common inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative muscle disorder in males.

Lashwood said the test, known as pre-implantation genetic haplotyping (PGH), combines elements of existing screening methods. A haplotype is a panel of markers.

Women tested for the cystic fibrosis mutation with PGH had a one in four chance of having a child with the illness. The others had a one in two chance of having a son with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

More than 5,500 doctors, scientists and fertility experts are attending the four-day meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).