Open AccessInvasive prenatal diagnostic practice in Denmark 1996 to 2006
Author(s) -
VESTERGAARD CHRISTINA H. F.,
LIDEGAARD ØJVIND,
TABOR ANN
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1080/00016340902730367
Subject(s) - medicine , amniocentesis , chorionic villus sampling , obstetrics , trisomy , prenatal diagnosis , gynecology , prenatal screening , prenatal ultrasound , danish , gestational age , pregnancy , fetus , linguistics , genetics , philosophy , biology
The Danish National Board of Health recommended in 2004 routine ultrasound scanning in week 12 with nuchal translucency measurement, combined with the double test to all pregnant women. Those who were found to have a risk of trisomy 21 higher than 1:300 were offered amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). The total number of pregnancies in Denmark with an invasive prenatal procedure decreased from 6,929 in 1996 to 3,103 in 2006, the percentage of CVS increased from 45 to 69%, and the percentage of women below 35 years among those undergoing invasive procedures increased from 38 to 52%. The mean gestational age at which the procedures were done increased – for CVS from week 11 to 13, and for amniocentesis from week 16 to 17. We thus achieved to more than double the offer of prenatal screening and at the same time reduce the number of invasive procedures by 55%.