title: Serum screening for Down syndrome and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a case-controlled study.
abstract: The relationship between adverse perinatal outcomes in women with false positive biochemical screening test for Down syndrome was investigated in a retrospective case-controlled study. A cohort of 4000 women who booked for routine antenatal care and opted for biochemical screening over a 22 month period was obtained. The pregnancy outcome data of 272 women with a false positive screening test for Down syndrome (risk >1 in 250) at 15-18 weeks of gestation (study group) were compared with data from 272 age and gestation matched controls with a negative Down syndrome screening test from the same population. The frequency of normal and adverse perinatal outcomes, including pre-eclampsia, isolated intrauterine growth restriction, spontaneous preterm labour and stillbirth was recorded. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was 11.9% in the study group and 8.6% in the control group. The estimated odds ratio of an abnormal outcome in the study group was 1.41 (95% CI-0.790, 2.55). The observed difference between proportion was 0.0324 (95% CI-0.022, 0.083; p=0.40). These data identify no evidence for a strong association between a false positive Down syndrome screening test result and subsequent adverse perinatal outcomes in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogle
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jauniaux
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pahal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheldrake
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodeck
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis