Here in my hometown, it's Derby week. With the greatest two minutes in sports upon us, it naturally has me thinking about odds. Indeed, prenatal testing for Down syndrome has that same focus. So, what are the odds that you are having a child with Down syndrome? Not only is this answer important, but it will surprise many. Continue Reading
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 of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which has the brand name "verifi." Featured on its website is the following decision-making flow chart for prenatal Continue Reading
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 fetus' genetic code could be diagnosed. Mothers (and practitioners) would be able to receive a diagnosis without risking miscarriage, as must be done with current diagnostic tests, Continue Reading
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