Prenatal Testing Guidelines:

Vol. 60, No. 1, 2005

Free Abstract Article (References) Article (PDF 119 KB)

Paper

Prenatal Testing Guidelines:
Miriam Kuppermann^a-c, Mary E. Norton^a

^aDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences,
^bMedical Effectiveness Research Center for Diverse Populations, and
^cDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Calif., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Gynecol Obstet Invest 2005;60:6-10 (DOI: 10.1159/000083479)

Key Words

Prenatal testing guidelines
Preferences
Informed decision making

Abstract

Numerous advances over the past 15 years have led to a much wider array of prenatal testing options for pregnant women who are interested in obtaining information regarding the chromosomal status of their fetus. However, despite recent data calling into question the assumptions underlying current testing guidelines, including those inherent in the risk-based threshold for offering invasive testing, chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis are still typically offered only to women whose likelihood of carrying a fetus affected by a chromosomal disorder such as Down syndrome is at least as high as that of the average 35-year-old. In this paper, we summarize the evidence suggesting that this aspect of prenatal testing guidelines should be revisited, and that women should be allowed to make informed decisions regarding the use of invasive testing that are reflective of their own values and preferences.

Author Contacts

Miriam Kuppermann, PhD, MPH
University of California, San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics
Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, 3333 California Street, Suite 335
San Francisco, CA 94143-0856 (USA)
Tel. +1 415 502 4089, Fax +1 415 502 4065, E-Mail kuppermannm@obgyn.ucsf.edu

Article Information

Published online: February 9, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 37

Medline Abstract (ID 15711084)

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