Prenatal diagnosis is an important modality for preventing birth of babies with lethal, life limiting and incurable disorders. Genetic disorders that are of major concern include chromosomal aneuploidies and several single-gene disorders. Definitive prenatal diagnosis of these conditions requires the analysis of fetal sample, which is obtained through invasive procedures such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling and cordocentesis. These procedures have a small but definite risk of fetal loss. In view to avoid this risk, scientists have been working for noninvasive alternatives to obtain and test fetal genetic material. There are two sources of fetal genetic material in maternal blood, fetal cells and circulating fetal DNA in maternal plasma. The noninvasive detection of some of the fetal traits like RhD status and fetal sex has proved very robust and is in routine use in some developed countries but there are many challenges ahead for diagnosis of single gene disorders and aneuploides, before the technique can be taken from bench to bedside.