title: Antenatal Down syndrome screening in the United States in 2001: a survey of maternal-fetal medicine specialists.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, St Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, Conn, USA.
authors.forename: James F X
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Lillian M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: DeRoche
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barsoom
authors.forename: Adam F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Borgida
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Benn
mesh_terms: 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