Based on their study of Down syndrome births and terminations in Victoria, Australia over a 19 year period, the study authors' asked whether Down syndrome is disappearing. The answer is "no … not yet." Continue Reading
August 23, 2013
“Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you” about Down syndrome prenatal testing
As a companion piece to the HuffPostLive segment on Down syndrome prenatal testing (which I blogged about here), the Huffington Posts' Katherine Bindley reported on the concerns about adequate counseling. Let's look at some key quotes from that piece. 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
July 31, 2013
Maternal age, the chance for Down syndrome, and prenatal testing
In 2007, the medical guidelines changed from only offering women 35 years old and older prenatal testing for Down syndrome to offering it to all expectant mothers. This, however, should not mean maternal age is irrelevant when considering prenatal testing. And, it turns out, something commonly reported about maternal age is incorrect. Continue Reading
July 29, 2013
Accuracy of Down syndrome blood test remains unknown
It is coming up on two years since Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS) was introduced. The New England Journal of Medicine recently featured an article raising concern over how the new blood test for Down syndrome is being used. It cautions against the new test being used in the general population. Continue Reading
June 12, 2013
The power of context to create a Down syndrome prenatal testing epidemic
In his National Bestseller, The Tipping Point: how little things can make a big difference, Malcolm Gladwell identifies three elements to creating an epidemic, from the spread of disease to a social trend. With two of the three being built into prenatal testing for Down syndrome, the final element will determine the tipping point of whether prenatal testing becomes an epidemic. Continue Reading
May 14, 2013
Didn’t you get tested? The normative effect of prenatal testing undermines reproductive freedom.
Medical organizations and bioethicists justify prenatal testing out of a respect for a woman's autonomy, her ability to control her reproductive choices. But society's view of prenatal testing can undermine that freedom. A recent Salon article adds to the evidence for this concern. 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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