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CVS
and Amniocentesis: January 18, 2001 Knowing that there is a risk of miscarriage associated with genetic testing, would you still opt for the procedure? If you said "yes" your feelings reflect the feelings of most women. Current guidelines suggested by health care providers recommend that a pregnant woman over the age of 35 undergo CVS (chorionic villus sampling) or amniocentesis to determine the genetic health of her baby. Of specific concern is whether or not the baby has Down syndrome. Though rare, the rate of occurrence of Down syndrome rises with the age of the mother. Healthcare providers often reserve these genetic tests for the mother over 35, or if the mother is at risk for other reasons. Genetic testing currently takes the form of chorionic villus sampling (CVs) or amniocentesis. Both tests use mildly invasive techniques to obtain genetic material of the fetus. Examination of the genetic material can reveal Down syndrome. However, both CVs and amniocentesis expose the mother to some risk of miscarrying. Doctors have been reluctant to expose patients to such risks unless the patient had a relatively high chance of having a child with Down syndrome, age being one of the primary risk factors. A study, conducted by Dr. Miriam Kupperman of the University of California at San Francisco and her colleagues looked at the concerns of 512 pregnant women. The results, published in the October issue of the Obstetrics and Gynecology, have now shown that generally women of any age prefer to assume the risk of miscarriage rather than sacrifice a chance to diagnose Down syndrome. Clearly this is a complex decision involving personal ethics. However, the results of Kupperman's study suggest that healthcare providers reexamine the current guidelines that reserve the testing for women over 35 years of age. |
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