No, this isn't a Snapchat face swap. The new BabyGlimpse app claims it can predict how your future child will look - using your DNA.

 

The app takes DNA from both the mother and the father, via spit, and using this comes up with how your baby may potentially look, the Independent reports.

 

BabyGlimpse goes as far as projecting other insights about your little one, including sleep behaviours and even food preferences.

 

Co-founder and former genetics research associate Jennifer Lescallett says they're honing in on the fun side of genetics.

 

"BabyGlimpse is sort of like the bright side of genetics. We’ve coined it sunshine science. You get to look at the fun part of your potential future baby versus some of the scary stuff," Jennifer told the Baltimore Sun.

 

 

The 'scary stuff' the co-founder is referring to includes genetic indicators that the child may be born with certain medical conditions. 

 

 BabyGlimpse's focus, though, is on the appearance side of things. 

 

However, even if they're avoiding the 'scary stuff', some experts still warn that the app is not all 'sunshine science'.

 

Muin Khoury, the director of the Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned of the dangers of labelling a child before it's even born

 

"And we still don’t understand very well the unintended consequences of labelling people," Muin told Wired, "Once you think you know certain information, it’ll affect how you think about your baby for life."

 

 

He also reitera ted that genetics is far more complex and not quite as deterministic as BabyGlimpse would have you believe.

 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says of consumer genetic testing, "We have adopted a cautionary attitude about personal genomic tests.

 

"We advised consumers to think critically about the health utility of these types of tests, as well as the potential harms and unnecessary follow-up health care costs that could result from testing.

 

"In our three-tiered evidence classification of genomic tests, we include personal genomic tests as 'tier 3' tests. Such a rating implies that there is no evidence for clinical validity or utility of such applications in healthy individuals in the population."

 

If you're still interested though, apparently the tests are sold online for anywhere from $99.98 to $259.98 (€81-185).

 

What do you think of this app, mums?

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