NHS doctors use the non-invasive parental testing (NIPT) screenings to determine after nine to 10 weeks of pregnancy whether a baby is suffering from a genetic condition.
Although the testing is designed to identify conditions such as Down’s syndrome, some parents using private clinicians have the early opportunity to find out the baby’s gender.
There are fears it may lead to abortions of girls, the BBC reports.
Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, Naz Shah, shadow women and equalities minister, backed the calls to ban the early foetus gender testing, which costs between £150 and £200.
She said: “NIPT screenings should be used for their intended purpose, to screen for serious conditions such as Down’s syndrome.
“The Government needs to look into this exploitative practice and enforce appropriate restrictions.”
Some clinics require only a drop of blood to carry out the testing, which Ms Shah said is putting a strain on women who may feel forced to do tests to live up to family members’ expectations.
She told the BBC cultural practices in some communities have a preference for boys and that using the test to abort babies based on gender was morally wrong.
The Department of Health is continuing to review the evidence.
