Antenatal Down Syndrome Screening in New Zealand 2007 is the result of work carried out by the Antenatal Down Syndrome Screening Advisory Group. The Advisory Group was convened as part of a review of the current practice of antenatal screening for Down syndrome carried out by the National Screening Unit.
This report recommends important changes to improve the quality and safety of the current approach to antenatal screening for Down syndrome in New Zealand.
At present, the most commonly used method is a risk assessment based on nuchal translucency (NT) and/or maternal age. International research indicates that these measures are the least safe and most inaccurate means of antenatal screening for Down syndrome. Using these methods results in women being unnecessarily referred for an invasive diagnostic procedure, which can result in miscarriage.
The Advisory Group recommended that the current practice of screening using only maternal age and/or nuchal translucency (NT), without biochemical markers is unsafe, inequitable, and should not continue. The Advisory Group made a number of recommendations for ways to improve the safety and quality for antenatal Down syndrome screening. These recommendations take into consideration the social, ethical, medical and technical implications.