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Impact of prenatal screening and diagnostic testing on trends in Down syndrome births and terminations in Western Australia 1980 to 2013.
- Source :
- Prenatal Diagnosis; Dec2015, Vol. 35 Issue 12, p1324-1330, 7p
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- <bold>Objective: </bold>To assess how prenatal screening and diagnostic testing have impacted the diagnosis, termination and birth prevalence of Down syndrome in Western Australia (1980-2013).<bold>Method: </bold>We analysed trends in termination rates and birth prevalence of Down syndrome using aggregated data (1980-2013). We modelled the expected live-birth rate and prevalence of Down syndrome and compared different eras of screening and diagnosis with respect to the impact on live-birth rate and prevalence of Down syndrome.<bold>Results: </bold>Between 1980 and 2013, the rate of Down syndrome pregnancies increased, corresponding to a greater proportion of babies born to older women. Following the introduction of screening in 1994, the rate of live-born infants with Down syndrome reduced significantly (pā=ā0.001). The rate of terminations of pregnancy for Down syndrome remained stable over this period. In the absence of termination, the Down syndrome live-birth rate would have risen from 1.1 per 1000 to 2.17 per 1000 between 1980 and 2013.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Prenatal testing in Western Australia has reduced the birth prevalence of Down syndrome despite an increased rate of Down syndrome pregnancies. Most women for whom a prenatal diagnosis of fetal Down syndrome is made, chose to terminate the pregnancy (93%), and this proportion has not changed over the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01973851
- Volume :
- 35
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Prenatal Diagnosis
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 115356334
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/pd.4698