Glossary

Below is a list of acronyms and terms commonly used on this blog that may benefit from being defined in one place (such as this page):

ACMG: American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

ACOG: American Congress/College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Amniocentesis: amniocentesis, often referred to as an “amnio,” is a diagnostic test in which fetal cells are extracted from a sample of amniotic fluid taken from the womb. ACOG recommends that amniocentesis be performed no sooner than 15 weeks of gestation.

CVS: chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a diagnostic test were chorionic villi cells are removed from the developing placenta, which contain fetal cells. CVS is performed in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Diagnostic testing: a test of fetal material that diagnoses whether the fetus has Down syndrome; most common options are a CVS or an amniocentesis; currently available diagnostic testing is invasive and poses a chance of miscarriage from the procedure

DS: Down syndrome

DSAIA: Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action

ISPD: International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis

NDSC: National Down Syndrome Congress

NDSS: National Down Syndrome Society

NIPS: Non-invasive prenatal screening–testing of cell free DNA in maternal blood stream, with most of DNA coming from placental DNA

NSGC: National Society of Genetic Counselors

PT: Prenatal Testing

RCOG: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Screening testing: non-invasive testing that provides a recalculation of the chance of having a child with Down syndrome; screening tests have false positives and false negatives and are not diagnostic.

Selective abortion: when a pregnancy is terminated because of a prenatally diagnosed condition, e.g. sex, Down syndrome.

SOGC: Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada