Universal screening of pregnancies – guidelines

In medicine, a guideline published by a specialty association is more than a “suggestion.” If a doctor varies from that guideline, he or she is presumed guilty of varying from the standard of care. And had better find a defense lawyer, because there’s a good chance she’ll be sued for malpractice or, in the case of the new American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines, for “wrongful life.”

The consequences of routine general screening of women for Down’s syndrome will mean that more women will be faced with more false positives. More doctors will be placed in the position of having to inform a woman of her “choice” to abort her baby. Many will stop doing OB. The cost of medical care and obstetric care in particular will go up in the US.

And an entire group of children will disappear.

What will be the target of the next “screening” guidelines? The “gay” gene? Asberger’s?> Cystic Fibrosis?
How about Sickle Cell disease, or just the trait?

How about the many genetic abnormalities that show up, but which are not yet associated with any specific disease?

And where will all of the genetic counselors come from? And who will pay for their services?

What else are we wiping out that we don’t know about, by removing these children from the gene pool?

For more on the subject, read Patricia A Bauer’s editorial in the New York Times, and Nigel Cameron’s comments. Or read Dr. Shari DeSilva’s note from last year and my comments on this blog.