In the first article in the January 2015 edition of Bioethics devoted to prenatal genetic testing, Jenny Hewison addresses the psychological trade-offs pregnant women must make with prenatal testing decisions. Continue Reading
September 25, 2014
More informed decisions = less prenatal testing
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association makes what for some is a surprising finding: when women know more about prenatal testing, fewer of them accept it. Continue Reading
November 11, 2013
What does the Department of Defense say about Down syndrome prenatal testing?
With today being Veterans Day in the United States, let's see what the Department of Defense says about prenatal testing for Down syndrome. Continue Reading
September 16, 2013
Emily Oster’s Expecting Better: Voldemort’s Shadow
In Expecting Better, Economics Professor Emily Oster bucks the conventional wisdom of standard prenatal care. Her book's title, and her support for early prenatal genetic testing, however, casts an ominous, unspoken shadow. 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
August 16, 2013
Is Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening the “Holy Grail” of Prenatal Testing?
In her recent blog post at the Huffington Post, Dr. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, a doctor who chaired ACOG's ethics committee, says she has found the "Holy Grail" of prenatal testing in Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPS). Is she correct? 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
April 23, 2013
Non-NIPS tests for Down syndrome are “tarot cards”
Continuing the examination of Christopher Weaver's recent report on NIPS in the Wall Street Journal, one quote jumped off the page when I read it. Did you know that screening tests that are not NIPS are as helpful as "tarot cards"? Continue Reading
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