Premium
Maternal serum screening for Down syndrome: are women’s perceptions changing?
Author(s) -
Gidiri M,
McFarlane J,
Holding S,
Lindow SW
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01266.x
Subject(s) - medicine , down syndrome , population , newborn screening , pediatrics , screening test , retrospective cohort study , family medicine , obstetrics , environmental health , psychiatry
Objectives To document trends in serum screening for Down's syndrome. Background Trends in the uptake of serum screening for Down syndrome have not been documented in a UK population. Design A retrospective review of the rate of uptake in a unit that has offered serum screening for Down syndrome to all pregnant women. Setting A large north of England hospital that has offered universal Down syndrome screening using the ‘triple test’ since 1992. Patients A total of 47 998 women who booked for antenatal care. Main outcome measures Uptake of serum screening for Down syndrome. Methods The results of the screening programme were contemporaneously recorded on a computer database, and the study team accessed the data. Results There was a significant reduction in the uptake of serum screening for Down syndrome from a maximum of 82.6% in 1993 to 41.4% in 2005. There was a significant but small trend upwards in the age of women accepting screening and also a significant trend in the increase in the screen‐positive rates. Conclusions The reduction in uptake of Down syndrome screening over the past 13 years must be taken into account when planning a screening programme. Other units should be encouraged to review their rate of uptake to determine if our data are representative of a wider trend.