On June 2, 2017, the Iowa Supreme Court recognized for the first time the claim of "wrongful birth". The Court also recognized that the state legislature may enact legislation barring such claims. Continue Reading
March 24, 2014
Prenatal testing for Down syndrome: does it respect a woman’s right to choose?
Prenatal testing for Down syndrome is ethically premised on respecting a woman's autonomy, her right to choose how to manage her pregnancy. Is that right to choose being respected if the woman does not know she had prenatal testing or does not understand the results? Continue Reading
November 13, 2013
DoD: counseling needed for Down syndrome prenatal testing
On Monday, Veterans Day, I featured the prenatal testing guidelines for the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Administration (VA). Those guidelines make clear the need for patient counseling when offering prenatal testing for Down syndrome and other genetic conditions. Continue Reading
August 28, 2013
The Best Ethical Practices for Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing
The medical journal, Prenatal Diagnosis, published this year an article titled, "The Best Ethical Practices for Clinicians and Laboratories in the Provision of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing." Here are the highlights. Continue Reading
August 20, 2013
Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening is not the Holy Grail, and it’s wrong to call it that–Part 2 of 2
In yesterday's post, I covered why it is factually wrong to call Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS) the "Holy Grail" of prenatal testing. Here's why it is ethically wrong to call it that. Continue Reading
August 19, 2013
Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening is not the Holy Grail of Prenatal Testing, and it’s wrong to call it that
Last week, I asked if Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS) is the "Holy Grail" of prenatal testing? Here's Part I of why it's not and Part II will cover why it's wrong to call it that. Continue Reading
August 1, 2013
“Not exactly a great scientific achievement”: prenatal testing in low risk populations
Yesterday's post generated a lot of discussion on Facebook and off-line about the role of maternal age and the incidence of Down syndrome. Today, we consider the value of prenatal screening for Down syndrome in relation to the mother's age. Continue Reading
June 4, 2013
You may decline prenatal testing, but you may be choosing to be sued if you do
Last week, Art Caplan, a well-known bioethicist, wrote a post for Harvard Law's Bill of Health blog. The post prompted one commenter to write, "Caplan, you are a laughable clown." Whatever did Caplan write? Continue Reading
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