Test all pregnant women for DS, Australian doctors urge
December 9th, 2008From the Sydney Morning Herald:
Australia urgently needs a national screening policy for Down syndrome, experts say, after international research showed it could halve the number of babies born with the incurable genetic condition.
Access to the four tests that help detect if a fetus has Down syndrome varies widely between states, urban and rural areas, and public and private patients, leading to stark differences in birth and termination rates.
A Danish study published in the British Medical Journal last week showed a national screening program for expectant mothers halved the number of babies born with Down syndrome in Denmark.
… Euan Wallace, professor of obstetrics at Monash University, said: “In Australia in 2008 every single woman should be offered and have access to state-of-the-art screening tests irrespective of age.”
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