Invasive Prenatal Genetic Testing: A Catholic Healthcare Provider's Perspective

Non-invasive prenatal testing.

BACKGROUND Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), also known as cell-free DNA testing and non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS), is an important addition to the range of screening tests for fetal chromosomal abnormalities. For trisomy 21 in particular, NIPT is superior to other screening modalities. However, NIPT has limitations and complexities that requesting clinicians and their patients sho...

Can Catholic Health Care Providers Disclose "Prohibited Option^ to Patients Following Genetic Testing?

Dr. Panicola is corporate vice president, ethics, SSM Health Care, St. Louis, and Dr. Ham el is senior director, ethics, Catholic Health Association, St. Louis. M odern research into genetics or, more precisely, "genomics"— which is the study not just of single genes but of the function and interaction of all the genes in the genome-reached its high point in April 2003 with the announcement tha...

Invasive Prenatal (Fetal) Diagnostic Testing

Single-Gene Disorders Invasive diagnostic prenatal (fetal) testing for molecular analysis for single-gene disorders may be considered medically necessary when a pregnancy has been identified as being at high risk: 1. For autosomal dominant conditions, at least 1 of the parents has a known pathogenic mutation. 2. For autosomal recessive conditions: a. Both parents are suspected to be carriers or...

Invasive or non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis?

About 40 years ago, invasive prenatal diagnosis techniques were introduced in obstetrics. Initially, amniocentesis was performed followed by placentacentesis, fetoscopy, fetal blood sampling (FBS), and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). These procedures, while invading the uterine environment, have made it possible to proceed with the retrieval of biological tissue of fetal origin for analysis an...

Surrogacy: a Catholic perspective.