Allowing for ethnic group in antenatal screening for Down's syndrome

Antenatal screening for Down's syndrome.

BACKGROUND In 1968 the first antenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome was made and screening on the basis of selecting women of advanced maternal age for amniocentesis was gradually introduced into medical practice. In 1983 it was shown that low maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was associated with Down's syndrome. Later, raised maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and low unc...

Improvements in antenatal screening for Down's syndrome

OBJECTIVES To estimate improvements to four antenatal screening tests for Down's syndrome (first trimester Combined, second trimester Quadruple, and first and second trimester Integrated and Serum Integrated tests) based on adding ductus venosus pulsatility index (DVPI), fetal nasal bone examination (NBE) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF). SETTING Statistical analysis of data from seve...

A case for comprehensive antenatal screening for blood group antibodies.

OBJECTIVES To determine the frequency of various blood group antibodies responsible for haemolytic disease of the new born (HDN). DESIGN A prospective study of all neonates and still born foetuses suspected to have haemolytic disease of the new born and their mothers. SUBJECTS Neonates suspected to have HDN as per study criteria along with their mothers and mothers of still born foetuses wi...

Distribution of nuchal translucency in antenatal screening for Down's syndrome

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the standard deviation of nuchal translucency (NT) measurements has decreased over time and if so to revise the estimate and assess the effect of revising the estimate of the standard deviation on the performance of antenatal screening for Down's syndrome. SETTING Data from a routine antenatal screening programme for Down's syndrome comprising 106 affected and 2...

Choice of serum markers in antenatal screening for Down's syndrome.