Methods for Down's screening questioned

New screening techniques for Down's syndrome are less effective than previously supposed, despite a government initiative to offer all pregnant women the new tests by 2004. Wellesley and colleagues (p 15) compared the effectiveness of different screening policies and found no evidence that the addition of serum and nuchal screening improves antenatal detection rates or reduces rates of invasive procedures. They say that new screening methods should be offered only as part of a controlled study until their benefit is proved.

(Credit: CNRI/SPL)

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