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Doctors: All fetuses should have Down's test

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published December 31, 2006

WASHINGTON - There's a big change coming for pregnant women: Down's syndrome testing no longer hinges on whether they're older or younger than 35.

This week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists begins recommending that every pregnant woman, regardless of age, be offered a choice of tests for this common birth defect, a condition where having an extra chromosome causes mental retardation, a characteristic broad, flat face and small head, and, often, serious heart defects.

The main reason is that tests far less invasive than the long-used amniocentesis are now widely available. Amnios, which use a needle to draw fluid from the amniotic sac, are highly accurate but were reserved for women at higher risk of an affected pregnancy because they occasionally cause miscarriage.

The risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome goes from one in 1,200 at age 25 to about one in 300 at age 35.

The screening is not just a question of whether to continue the pregnancy, because affected babies can need specialized care at delivery that affects hospital selection, said Dr. James Goldberg, a member of the ACOG committee that developed the guideline.

[Last modified December 31, 2006, 00:30:22]