Antenatal Down syndrome screening in the United States in 2001: a survey of maternal-fetal medicine specialists.
OBJECTIVE
Our objectives were to determine patterns of antenatal Down syndrome screening and risk adjustment by maternal-fetal medicine specialists in the United States in 2001.


METHODS
A survey to investigate Down syndrome screening practice patterns was mailed to the 1,638 members of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the United States. Practice demographics, screening patterns, and the numeric risks quoted in counseling were analyzed.


RESULTS
Five hundred forty-three specialists (33.2%) responded; 530 of these specialists (97.6%) performed antenatal Down syndrome screening; all of them offered second-trimester screening, and 247 of them (45.5%) offered first-trimester screening. With the use of second-trimester ultrasonography, risk was increased by 69.4% of respondents and decreased by 33.1%. Amniocentesis was the most frequently used diagnostic test (83.2%), with loss rates quoted at 1:100 to 1:1,000.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists show a wide in variation practices used for Down syndrome screening, modification of risk, and quoted procedure-related loss rates. This information calls for a consensus regarding risks that are quoted in Down syndrome counseling.
Egan
James F X
JF
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, St Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, Conn, USA.
Kaminsky
Lillian M
LM
DeRoche
Michael E
ME
Barsoom
Michael J
MJ
Borgida
Adam F
AF
Benn
Peter A
PA
D000649:Amniocentesis; D003625:Data Collection; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014481:United States