Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing

Mark Leach December 4, 2012

Verinata’s Prenatal Testing Flow Chart: Unethical?

As I’ve mentioned before, on the home page there is a scroll of my twitter feed. Like this blog, I typically tweet about news related to Down syndrome and/or prenatal testing. But, sometimes Twitter’s 140-character limit is not enough to provide a thorough analysis of ethical issues. Verinata is a laboratory that developed its version […]

Filed Under: The Informed Consent Process Tagged With: ACOG, Informed Consent, NIPT, routinization, Verinata, Voluntary

Mark Leach December 3, 2012

A Review of Andrew Solomon’s New Book: Far from [what] tree?

Andrew Solomon’s new book, “Far From the Tree,” has been receiving a lot of coverage lately–and deservedly so. But, his final assessment begs the question: “Far from what tree?” Solomon’s title sums up the contents of his weighty tome. Ten of the twelve chapters are devoted to a single condition each, e.g. Chapter 2, Deaf, […]

Filed Under: A Life with Down syndrome Tagged With: Down syndrome resources, Living a life with Down syndrome, world traveling

Mark Leach November 28, 2012

An Open Letter to NDSS, NDSC, GDSF on Down syndrome prenatal testing resources

Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GDSF) and the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) recently announced the publication of a pamphlet for patients going through prenatal testing for Down syndrome. It sparked discussion through a blog post by Dr. Brian Skotko, which was soon responded to in a joint press release by GDSF, NDSC, and the National […]

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making Tagged With: Down syndrome resources, National Plan of Action, prenatal testing, Sequenom

Mark Leach November 26, 2012

“The Gradual Trap”–Informed Consent Process: Understanding

In the first post on the Informed Consent Process, I discussed the element of voluntariness. This week’s post concerns the element of “understanding” and is prompted by the recent ACOG guidelines on NIPT and an article from this Spring that introduced the notion of “the gradual trap” in the context of prenatal testing. As a […]

Filed Under: The Informed Consent Process Tagged With: ACOG, prenatal testing, The Gradual Trap, Understanding

Mark Leach November 25, 2012

“These attributes do not define those we love.”

On the right side of the homepage, you’ll see a scroll of my twitter feed. Unlike common uses of twitter, I do not update my followers where I’m eating dinner or what I think of the movie I’m watching. Instead, most all posts are links to news reports about Down syndrome. I invite you to […]

Filed Under: A Life with Down syndrome Tagged With: DADS, DS Treatment, Prevention, Stigmatization

Mark Leach November 23, 2012

Breaking News: ACOG Issues New Guidelines on NIPT

Since the 1990’s, when fragments of cell free fetal DNA (cffDNA) were found in the mother’s blood stream, researchers have been on a quest for what is regularly termed “The Holy Grail” of prenatal testing: a diagnostic test from just a mother’s blood sample. If the fetal DNA could be identified and tested, then the […]

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making, NIPT Tagged With: ACOG, Informed Consent, NIPT, routinization, Sequenom

Mark Leach November 21, 2012

Giving Thanks: For those who get to know those with Down syndrome

Happy Thanksgiving! For those going through prenatal testing for Down syndrome, let us give thanks for those who make the effort to get to know more about Down syndrome.

Filed Under: A Life with Down syndrome, Informed Decision Making Tagged With: Brightertomorrows.org, Down syndrome resources, informed decision making, Living a life with Down syndrome, support, world traveling

Mark Leach November 19, 2012

The Informed Consent Process: Voluntariness

There are many ethical issues involved with prenatal testing for Down syndrome. I hope in time to address as many as possible. To start with, however, is the ethical concept that commentators have cited as making the offering of prenatal testing a moral obligation: informed consent. Informed consent has a rich history that developed in […]

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making, The Informed Consent Process Tagged With: Coercion, Informed Consent, Voluntary

Mark Leach November 15, 2012

What materials did your OB give you about Down syndrome?

When the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) changed its recommendations about prenatal testing for Down syndrome in 2007, it emphasized that obstetricians should be “well-informed” about Down syndrome and provide the “natural history” of Down syndrome when delivering a diagnosis. What was your experience? Was your OB well-informed and did they provide you […]

Filed Under: Informed Decision Making Tagged With: Down syndrome resources, informed decision making, prenatal testing

Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing

A Review of Andrew Solomon’s New Book: Far from [what] tree?

An Open Letter to NDSS, NDSC, GDSF on Down syndrome prenatal testing resources

“These attributes do not define those we love.”

Giving Thanks: For those who get to know those with Down syndrome

What materials did your OB give you about Down syndrome?

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