Prenatal Primer: Interactive Guide to Prenatal DNA Testing Options

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted January 30, 2008 in DNA Testing

Prenatal genetic testing has become so routine that almost all the women I know have gone through it even if they were pregnant before age 35. All of us, including me, experienced some degree of confusion and spent a significant amount of time researching various tests and potential outcomes. To help pregnant women and their families understand their options, DNA Direct* and Lenetix Medical Screening Laboratories have created the Prenatal Primer, which includes:

• An online questionnaire
• Information on prenatal risk assessment tests and diagnostics
• Flow-charts and visual representations of testing options

“It’s very important for patients to fully understand and weigh the screening and diagnostic options,” said Dr. Thomas Musci of San Francisco Perinatal Group. “A web-enabled tool that provides comprehensive education about prenatal screening options will help ensure that patients truly obtain informed consent.” Musci is working with DNA Direct to develop the beta version of the tool to be piloted at his practice. (Press Release )

On a related note, Sequenom is enrolling patients in a study to clinically assess their noninvasive cell free fetal nucleic acid SEQureDx Technology for detecting fetal aneuploidy, including Down syndrome. SEQureDx requires only a blood sample from the mother without the need for invasive amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.

And, the AP also has a story about increased prenatal testing leading to higher termination rates – Down syndrome groups anxious about increased prenatal testing.

*I work for DNA Direct.

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Pingback by Eye on DNA Headlines for 28 February 2008

2008-02-28 12:08:29

[...] Primer [editor’s note: see Eye on DNA post] is an interactive, web-based guide to prenatal testing options distributed to physician practices [...]

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